Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Triangle Securities Wealth Management

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased: Triangle Securities Wealth Management more than doubled its Costco stake to 4,674 shares worth approximately $4.26 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of the company.
• Strong operating performance: Costco beat quarterly estimates with $6.75 EPS and $95.72 billion in revenue, up 11.1% year over year. September net sales also rose 13%, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%.
• Positive outlook but premium valuation: Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $1,081.79, though Costco trades at a high P/E of 47.30. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, while two executives recently sold shares.

Triangle Securities Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 126.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,674 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,609 shares during the period. Triangle Securities Wealth Management's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,255,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew 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 acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,732,836,000 after acquiring an additional 143,150 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% during the second 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 acquiring an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" 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, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,081.79.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.9%

COST stock opened at $982.00 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. 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 firm has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.30, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $931.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $963.13.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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 given 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%.

Costco Wholesale 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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