BOCHK Asset Management Ltd Acquires 1,350 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• BOCHK Asset Management increased its Costco stake by 51.9% in the third quarter, purchasing 1,350 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 3,950 shares valued at approximately $3.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 68.48% of COST.
• Costco exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $6.75 in EPS and $95.72 billion in revenue, with revenue rising 11.1% year over year. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of 0.6%.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $1,086.19. However, the stock trades at a high valuation of about 50 times earnings, while two company executives recently sold shares.

BOCHK Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 51.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,950 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,350 shares during the period. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,596,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,040.55 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $945.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $970.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $461.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.12, a PEG ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on COST shares. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $1,050.00 price target for the company. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco received approval to build a warehouse at Seacoast Landing in Newington, New Hampshire, with an opening targeted for 2027. The new location should expand Costco’s store base and provide a long-term source of membership and sales growth. Costco gets approval to build at Seacoast Landing
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion through DoorDash and Uber Eats could generate incremental sales, attract younger shoppers and strengthen Costco’s digital presence without materially reducing warehouse traffic. Costco DoorDash and Uber Eats expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Costco and Walmart are gaining grocery market share as consumers increasingly seek value amid higher household costs. This reinforces Costco’s competitive positioning and could support comparable sales and membership retention. Walmart and Costco gaining grocery market share
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is scheduled to pay its final quarterly dividend of 2026 on November 13, providing a predictable shareholder return but adding little new information about the company’s growth outlook. Costco dividend payment
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco and other companies objected to OKXICE’s proposed tokenized-stock trading platform. The move protects the company’s branding and shareholder rights but is unlikely to affect near-term earnings. Companies oppose OKXICE tokenized stocks plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discussing a possible stock split emphasize that Costco has rarely split its shares and may not do so in 2027. A split would not change underlying value, while the stock’s high valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments. Costco stock split outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were net sellers of approximately $75.6 million of COST shares on October 29, indicating some institutional profit-taking and creating modest short-term selling pressure. ETFs are net sellers of Costco

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were 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 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

About Costco Wholesale

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.