Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Sold by Avestar Capital LLC

Avestar Capital LLC lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 22.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,369 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,299 shares during the period. Avestar Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,977,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after purchasing an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $16,013,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $148,193,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares in the last quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.0% in the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $943.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $970.25. The company has a market cap of $448.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.88. 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 Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, 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 quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 9th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on 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, Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were 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. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

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.