Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Raised by Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC

Key Points

• Zevenbergen Capital Investments increased its Costco stake by 151.5% in the third quarter to 20,628 shares valued at approximately $18.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s stock.
• Costco reported quarterly revenue of $95.72 billion and earnings of $6.75 per share, beating analyst expectations, while revenue rose 11.1% year over year. September sales also increased 13% to $30.02 billion, supported by comparable-sales and digital-growth gains.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.27, though Costco’s elevated valuation and potential margin pressures remain risks.

Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 151.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,628 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 12,425 shares during the period. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,778,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer's stock worth $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in 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 worth $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted 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 buying an additional 143,150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in 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 valued at $2,870,314,000 after buying an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST traded up $5.67 on Thursday, hitting $947.92. 2,267,778 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,195,423. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day moving average of $930.81 and a 200-day moving average of $963.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.38 billion, a PE ratio of 45.66, a PEG ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced 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. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, with U.S. comps up 12.5%, Canada up 6.3% and other international markets up 10.8%. Costco September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying demand remained healthy: comparable sales excluding gasoline-price and foreign-exchange effects rose approximately 7.6%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Digital sales also increased 19%, indicating broad momentum beyond Costco’s warehouse locations. Costco September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The strong start to fiscal 2027 supports the view that Costco continues to gain from value-conscious consumers and a resilient membership-based model. Analysts highlighted traffic and transaction growth as particularly important indicators for future revenue performance. Costco Sales Rise in September
• Neutral Sentiment: Several reports note that part of the headline sales increase was helped by higher gasoline prices and potentially temporary, lower-margin sales categories. Investors may therefore focus more closely on traffic, transactions and core sales than on the 13% reported growth rate. Costco Sales Rebound Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointing growth or margin trends. Ongoing tariff and margin-pressure concerns, along with a lawsuit alleging misleading “sugar-free” labeling for a Kirkland drink mix, represent potential risks, though neither appears material to current sales momentum.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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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