1,350 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by First County Bank CT

Key Points

• First County Bank CT increased its Costco stake by 45.6% in the third quarter, purchasing 1,350 additional shares for a total of 4,309 shares valued at approximately $3.92 million.
• Institutional investors own 68.48% of Costco, while Executive Vice President Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares at an average price of $915.93.
• Costco exceeded quarterly expectations with $6.75 in EPS and $95.72 billion in revenue, but its elevated valuation remains a concern; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $1,046.27.

First County Bank CT increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,309 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,350 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.7% of First County Bank CT's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. First County Bank CT's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,923,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer's stock worth $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,732,836,000 after buying an additional 143,150 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST traded down $2.37 on Tuesday, hitting $957.07. 490,463 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,180,326. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $424.11 billion, a PE ratio of 46.15, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $930.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $963.26.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) 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. 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales and digital growth remain strong. Costco reported September net sales of approximately $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Digital sales rose 19%, helped by expanded delivery options and personalization, reinforcing expectations for continued growth. Costco September sales growth article Costco digital sales growth article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimates point to continued earnings growth. Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects FY2028 EPS of $25.01. The higher long-term outlook supports the case that Costco’s resilient, membership-based model can justify its elevated valuation. Costco analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Potential store expansion could add jobs and sales. Filings indicate a proposed West Oakland Costco could employ hundreds, while broader coverage highlights Costco’s influence on surrounding development and housing demand. These developments are longer-term rather than immediate earnings catalysts. West Oakland Costco article
• Neutral Sentiment: Fuel prices create a mixed comparison. Elevated gasoline prices can increase reported fuel sales, but lower prices could leave consumers with more money for merchandise. Investors are also questioning how much of Costco’s recent sales growth reflects higher fuel prices rather than underlying demand. Costco gasoline prices article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and interest rates remain headwinds. The 10-year Treasury yield is reported at 5.2%, substantially above Costco’s dividend yield, making the stock less attractive to income-focused investors. COST’s premium multiple leaves limited room for weaker sales or slower earnings growth. Costco valuation and Treasury yield article

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of 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. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 target price for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,046.27.

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.

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