2,131 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Acropolis Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Acropolis Investment Management increased its Costco stake by 116.7% in the third quarter, purchasing 2,131 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 3,957 shares valued at approximately $3.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Costco reported strong operating momentum, with quarterly revenue rising 11.1% year over year to $95.72 billion and EPS of $6.75, exceeding analyst expectations. Comparable sales and digital sales also posted broad gains, though some reported sales growth was attributed to higher gasoline prices.
• COST trades at a premium valuation of roughly 45.7 times earnings. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $1,046.27 average price target, while an executive’s sale of 2,200 shares and valuation sensitivity remain considerations for investors.

Acropolis Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 116.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,957 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 2,131 shares during the quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,602,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong customer traffic and transaction growth supported broad-based comparable-sales gains. U.S. comparable sales increased 12.5%, Canada rose 6.3%, and other international markets gained 10.8%, offering evidence that Costco’s membership model continues to attract shoppers. Costco sales rise in September as strong traffic drives start to fiscal 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Digital sales grew approximately 19%, adding another growth channel and strengthening expectations for a solid start to fiscal 2027. The report also supports the view that Costco’s international operations remain an important contributor to future revenue growth. Costco's September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are paying a premium for this consistency: COST trades at roughly 45 times trailing earnings. The valuation reflects expectations for years of continued growth, leaving the stock particularly sensitive to any slowdown in traffic, memberships, or margins. What Are Costco Investors Betting On?
• Negative Sentiment: Some of the headline sales strength came from higher gasoline prices and other potentially lower-margin or one-time effects. Analysts therefore caution that the underlying 7.6% increase, while healthy, is less dramatic than the 13% reported-sales gain. Costco's Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper. Why There's More to the Story.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $947.92 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $420.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $930.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $963.49. 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 - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were 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. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Roth Capital restated a "sell" rating and issued a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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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