Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Whalen Wealth Management Inc.

Key Points

• Whalen Wealth Management increased its Costco position by 67.4% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 3,062 shares valued at approximately $2.79 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,046.27, despite several firms recently lowering their targets.
• Costco continues to post strong operating results, beating quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, but its valuation remains elevated at a P/E above 45, creating sensitivity to slower sales growth or margin pressures.

Whalen Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 67.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,062 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,233 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.2% of Whalen Wealth Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Whalen Wealth Management Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,787,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in 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. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,362,188,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company's 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock traded up $6.56 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $948.81. 725,559 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,188,075. 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. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $930.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $963.67. The company has a market capitalization of $420.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.70, 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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13.0% year over year. Comparable sales increased 12.5% in the U.S., 6.3% in Canada and 10.8% in other international markets, for total comparable growth of 11.4%. The results reinforce Costco’s strong customer traffic and membership-driven business model. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: International revenue remains an important growth driver. Analysts are monitoring Costco’s overseas performance because continued gains could support Wall Street’s revenue forecasts and provide room for further earnings growth. Costco International Revenue Performance Explored
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s long-term investment case is supported by its reputation as a high-quality growth retailer, a history of dividend increases and potential expansion through new warehouses. Its cash accumulation has also prompted speculation about another special dividend, though no such payment has been announced. Costco Cash and Special Dividend Speculation
• Neutral Sentiment: September’s headline sales benefited from higher gasoline prices and foreign-exchange effects. One analyst also cautioned that some of the comparable-sales surge came from one-time, lower-margin factors, making the quality of the growth more important than the headline figure. Costco September Sales Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Costco trades at a demanding valuation, with a P/E ratio above 45, leaving the stock vulnerable if margins weaken or sales growth normalizes. Tariffs, product costs and other margin pressures remain key risks. Separately, a lawsuit alleging misleading “sugar-free” labeling on a Kirkland drink mix could create limited reputational or legal exposure.

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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