Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Perpetual Ltd

Key Points

• Perpetual Ltd increased its Costco stake by 60.4% in the third quarter, owning 3,734 shares valued at approximately $3.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 68.48% of Costco’s outstanding shares.
• Costco exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $6.75 in EPS and $95.72 billion in revenue, with revenue up 11.1% year over year. Analysts expect about $22.85 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Costco shares opened at $954.63, reflecting a premium valuation with a P/E ratio of 45.98. Despite this, analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,046.27.

Perpetual Ltd increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 60.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,734 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,406 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in 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 period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased 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 valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $954.63 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $423.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.98, a P/E/G ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The business's fifty day moving average is $930.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $963.12. 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 (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 the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The company's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.87 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 9th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,046.27.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of approximately $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Digital sales increased 19%, supported by expanded delivery options and personalization, indicating continued customer engagement beyond physical warehouses. Costco Wholesale Posts 13% September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet strength: Costco’s reported $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash generation give it flexibility to expand its warehouse network and invest in e-commerce. This provides an advantage over more financially constrained retail competitors. How Costco's Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive earnings outlook: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and projects FY2028 EPS of $25.01, reinforcing expectations for continued earnings growth. Costco analyst earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive and consumer considerations: Costco continues to outperform or pressure traditional grocery rivals such as Albertsons, while its bulk-pack format and $65 membership fee may not be equally attractive for every household. A potential West Oakland warehouse could support employment and local growth but is not an immediate earnings catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and income competition: COST trades at roughly 46 times earnings, well above the broader market. The 10-year Treasury yield near 5.2% significantly exceeds Costco’s dividend yield, which can reduce the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors and increase valuation pressure. Costco Stock Versus 10-Year Treasury Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Questions about sales quality: Higher gasoline prices contributed to reported sales growth at Costco’s fuel business. If gas prices decline, some of that revenue boost could fade, making the premium valuation harder to justify despite solid underlying membership and digital trends. What Cheaper Gas Would Mean for Costco Sales and Margins

Costco Wholesale Company 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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