Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: International Private Wealth Advisors LLC Raises Position

International Private Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 32.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,916 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,464 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.0% of International Private Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,386,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after acquiring an additional 160,893 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after acquiring an additional 283,360 shares during the period. Finally, Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,549,616,000 after acquiring an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the 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 $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,092.23.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,087.61 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $960.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $973.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $481.95 billion, a PE ratio of 52.39, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

These are some of the COST headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a $30-per-share special cash dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion, payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24. The payout signals strong cash generation and may support investor demand, though it is a one-time distribution. Costco dividend and repurchase announcement
• Positive Sentiment: The board also reauthorized a $4 billion stock repurchase program, reinforcing Costco’s capital-return plans. Bernstein raised its price target to $1,155 from $1,143 and maintained an Outperform rating; Mizuho also raised its target following the announcements. Mizuho raises Costco price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts view Costco’s membership-based, value-focused business as relatively defensive amid uncertainty, which may appeal to investors seeking resilience. Costco as a defensive investment

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.