Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Numerai GP LLC

Key Points

• Numerai GP LLC boosted its stake in Costco by 110% in the third quarter, buying 6,662 shares to hold 12,719 shares valued at $11,773,000, making Costco its largest position (1.7% of its portfolio).
• Costco beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.58 vs. $4.55) and saw revenue rise 9.2% to $69.6 billion; analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $1,039.13 while the stock trades near $1,001 with a PE of about 52.

Numerai GP LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 110.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,719 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 6,662 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.7% of Numerai GP LLC's holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Numerai GP LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,773,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer's stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland private-label strength is being highlighted as a growing competitive moat for Costco — the brand boosts margins, differentiates the value proposition for members, and reduces price sensitivity, supporting long-term same-store sales and loyalty. How Kirkland Quietly Became Costco's Most Powerful Moat
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is piloting faster checkout technology that could reduce in-store friction, lower labor costs per transaction, and increase throughput — a potential near-term boost to store productivity and member satisfaction. Costco's New Checkout Tech Could Get You Out The Door In Just Seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Costco will lower the cost of certain fertility drugs in New Jersey through its pharmacy program — a targeted healthcare/pricing initiative that can drive foot traffic, pharmacy volumes and goodwill (modest margin impact but positive for membership value). Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
• Positive Sentiment: High share price and sustained outperformance have put Costco on lists of potential stock-split candidates — talk of a split can buoy retail demand and reduce psychological barriers to buying at high nominal prices. 3 Stocks That Could Be Next to Announce a Stock Split
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investment pieces continue to profile Costco as a long-term buy-and-hold name vs. peers (e.g., comparisons to Coca‑Cola and lists of top retail holdings). These reinforce bullish narratives but don’t materially change near-term fundamentals. Best Stock to Buy and Hold Forever: Costco vs. Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Negotiations to site a new Asheville, NC Costco appear to have re-engaged — a potential local expansion that could add incremental sales over time but is still early-stage. Is Asheville Costco still possible? Store 'reengages' in negotiations
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has recalled prepared meatloaf meal kits and warned consumers after potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states. Food-safety recalls can hit short-term sales in affected categories, raise inspection/compliance costs, and create reputational risk if issues widen. Costco recalls prepared meatloaf meals over possible Salmonella risk

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,001.74 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $978.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $937.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.42 billion, a PE ratio of 52.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company's product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco's business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.

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