Payden & Rygel decreased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 87.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,260 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 8,700 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,147,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. State Street Corp lifted 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 buying an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $726,689,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty-five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,086.19.
Get Our Latest Report on COST
More Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
- Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Costco Wholesale 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 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 approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%
COST stock opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The business has a 50-day moving average of $943.31 and a 200-day moving average of $970.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $448.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.76, a P/E/G ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.88.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 28.32%.
About Costco Wholesale
(
Free Report)
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.
Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.
The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.
Further Reading
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