Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Newly Purchased by Sacks & Associates LLC

Key Points

• Sacks & Associates LLC acquired a new 1,250-share Costco stake worth approximately $1.14 million during the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 23 Buy, nine Hold, and one Sell rating; Costco has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,046.27.
• Costco reported strong quarterly results, including $6.75 in EPS and $95.72 billion in revenue, but its elevated valuation and potential margin pressures from gasoline, foreign exchange, and other factors remain risks.

Sacks & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,250 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,138,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,732,836,000 after purchasing an additional 143,150 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on COST shares. HSBC raised Costco Wholesale to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Freedom Broker reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported approximately $30.02 billion in September net sales, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, U.S. comparable sales rose 12.5%, and digitally enabled sales climbed 19%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Costco's September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see improving trends: UBS characterized the September results as evidence of accelerating trends, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained a Sector Perform rating and a $1,000 price target, implying additional upside from recently reported levels. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data is inconclusive: A report lists October short interest at zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with normal market data and is unlikely to be a meaningful trading signal without confirmation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support remains mixed: DA Davidson reiterated a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, indicating that strong operating trends have not yet led all analysts to recommend buying the stock. Costco Stock: Here's What DA Davidson Found During Its Warehouse Club Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks temper the sales beat: RBC noted that Costco’s growth may already be reflected in its share price. Analysts also cautioned that gasoline, foreign exchange, and other one-time or lower-margin factors contributed to the September improvement, potentially limiting the impact on earnings and margins. Costco's Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $946.92 on Friday. 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 $419.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.61, a PEG ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $930.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $963.38. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results 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 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 the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. The business's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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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