Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: State of Alaska Department of Revenue Boosts Position

Key Points

• Institutional buying increased: The State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its Costco position by 16.5% to 63,529 shares, valued at approximately $57.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 68.48% of COST.
• Strong operating results support the stock: Costco’s latest quarterly EPS of $6.75 exceeded estimates, while revenue rose 11.1% year over year to $95.72 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with a target price of $1,087.40.
• Valuation and insider selling remain risks: COST trades at roughly 47 times earnings, while executives William Richard Wilcox and Claudine Adamo sold shares. Costco also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, representing a 0.6% yield.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 16.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,529 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 8,998 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.5% of State of Alaska Department of Revenue's portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $57,833,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer's stock worth $200,372,000 after acquiring an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the second quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $148,193,000 after acquiring an additional 6,200 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $16,013,000. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.0% during the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $21,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major price-target increase: Tigress Financial raised its COST price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential upside. Costco analyst price target report
• Positive Sentiment: Strong operating momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results support the strength of its membership model and e-commerce business. Costco September sales report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling essential goods. Costco benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Retail defensive-sector rotation
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and expansion: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13. Proposed new warehouses in Oakland and Merced County also point to continued long-term store expansion. Costco dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to expect earnings growth, with one estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS raised to $22.80. However, commentary describing COST as a portfolio-risk amplifier suggests investors remain focused on its correlation with the broader market and premium valuation. Costco market risk analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable to disappointment in membership, sales or consumer spending trends. Separately, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his position by 26.23%. Costco insider sale report

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on COST shares. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Tigress Financial upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,160.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,087.40.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of COST opened at $978.01 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $932.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $963.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $433.38 billion, a PE ratio of 47.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

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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