Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors

Key Points

• C2P Capital Advisory Group increased its Costco stake by 45.5% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 4,378 shares valued at approximately $3.99 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s shares.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with 24 Buy ratings, eight Holds and one Sell; Costco has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,087.40.
• Costco reported strong quarterly results, with revenue rising 11.1% year over year to $95.72 billion and adjusted earnings of $6.75 per share, exceeding expectations. However, the stock’s high valuation and recent executive share sales remain potential risks.

C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,378 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,369 shares during the quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors' holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,985,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $30,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. HSBC raised shares of Costco Wholesale to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,087.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major price-target increase: Tigress Financial raised its COST price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential upside. Costco analyst price target report
• Positive Sentiment: Strong operating momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results support the strength of its membership model and e-commerce business. Costco September sales report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling essential goods. Costco benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Retail defensive-sector rotation
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and expansion: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13. Proposed new warehouses in Oakland and Merced County also point to continued long-term store expansion. Costco dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to expect earnings growth, with one estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS raised to $22.80. However, commentary describing COST as a portfolio-risk amplifier suggests investors remain focused on its correlation with the broader market and premium valuation. Costco market risk analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable to disappointment in membership, sales or consumer spending trends. Separately, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his position by 26.23%. Costco insider sale report

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

COST stock opened at $978.01 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $932.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $963.09. The company has a market capitalization of $433.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88. 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 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

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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