7,941 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 125.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 14,285 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,941 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,004,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,732,836,000 after purchasing an additional 143,150 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% during 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 worth $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $978.01 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $932.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $963.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $433.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.11, a PEG ratio of 4.20 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. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major price-target increase: Tigress Financial raised its COST price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential upside. Costco analyst price target report
• Positive Sentiment: Strong operating momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results support the strength of its membership model and e-commerce business. Costco September sales report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling essential goods. Costco benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Retail defensive-sector rotation
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and expansion: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13. Proposed new warehouses in Oakland and Merced County also point to continued long-term store expansion. Costco dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to expect earnings growth, with one estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS raised to $22.80. However, commentary describing COST as a portfolio-risk amplifier suggests investors remain focused on its correlation with the broader market and premium valuation. Costco market risk analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable to disappointment in membership, sales or consumer spending trends. Separately, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his position by 26.23%. Costco insider sale report

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Raymond James Financial cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,087.40.

About Costco Wholesale

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.