Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Sold by Slow Capital Inc.

Slow Capital Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 18,047 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 762 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.8% of Slow Capital Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Slow Capital Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,429,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,005.16 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $445.42 billion, a PE ratio of 48.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $938.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $968.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven shopping could support e-commerce growth. Costco is seeing triple-digit increases in traffic and sales originating from AI-powered search, with strong conversion rates. Although the channel remains small, broader adoption could provide a new source of online customer acquisition. Costco’s AI Search Traffic Soars: Can It Fuel Online Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: Health-services expansion may improve member retention. New pharmacy and health offerings, including expanded GLP-1 and fertility-related options and mobile payment capabilities, could make memberships more valuable and encourage renewals. Costco expands a key health offering
• Positive Sentiment: Warehouse growth remains a long-term sales catalyst. Costco is preparing to open a 152,000-square-foot location after delays and reportedly plans 33 new warehouses in 2027, supporting future membership and revenue growth. Costco is finally opening a massive warehouse Costco is opening 33 new warehouses in 2027
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data provides no meaningful bearish signal. The report lists zero shares sold short and a zero-day short-interest ratio, suggesting limited measurable short-selling pressure, although the data appears inconsistent with the description of a “significant increase.”
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains the primary risk. An investor analysis argues that COST is overvalued despite its durable business model and strong long-term performance. At its elevated earnings multiple, the stock may require continued strong growth to justify further gains. Costco valuation and 10-year outlook

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on COST shares. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. HSBC raised shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.