Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells 1,100 Shares of Company Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST traded up $27.37 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $982.00. 3,072,654 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,304,990. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $931.75 and a 200-day moving average of $963.13. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a PE ratio of 46.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Effects LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the first quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the first quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,221,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,081.79.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.