Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: WASHINGTON TRUST Co Increases Position

WASHINGTON TRUST Co boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,286 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,194 shares during the quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $25,750,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 48,541 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $44,189,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. BIP Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.4% in the third quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 3,842 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,498,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. River Street Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.6% in the third quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,502,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.7% during the third quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 374 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $341,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.7% during the third quarter. Strategic Planning Group LLC now owns 25,854 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $23,537,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,003.32 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $937.96 and a 200-day moving average of $963.21. The firm has a market cap of $444.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.29 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 Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong. CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, while Tigress Financial raised its price target to $1,250. Erste Group also increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $25.07 from $25.01, above the current-year consensus estimate of $22.70. CICC coverage article Tigress Financial price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Growth and customer engagement remain key positives. Costco’s membership model has delivered substantial long-term shareholder returns, and the company is reportedly using purchasing data to better target high-spending members. REJURAN Cosmetics is also expanding through Costco’s first Beauty Table program, potentially adding traffic and broadening its premium beauty offering. Costco customer spending article REJURAN retail expansion article
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term growth screens are favorable, and analysts’ average recommendation is equivalent to a Buy. However, these reports largely reiterate existing optimism rather than provide a new earnings catalyst. Zacks growth stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or disappointing growth. Kroger is planning major investments and price cuts to win back market share from Costco and Walmart, which could intensify grocery competition and pressure margins. Kroger competition article

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. HSBC upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Tigress Financial lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Twenty-five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.