Farther Finance Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco by 26.7% in Q4, adding 4,448 shares to hold 21,135 shares valued at about $18.225 million.
• Company insiders sold 2,038 shares (~$2.01 million) in the past three months (including EVP Teresa Jones and EVP Claudine Adamo), and insiders now own just 0.10% of the stock.
• Costco beat quarterly EPS and revenue expectations with revenue up 9.2% year-over-year, analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” with an average target near $1,043, but the stock trades at a premium (P/E ~50.7, PEG ~4.8) that could constrain further upside.

Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 26.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,135 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 4,448 shares during the quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,225,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Amundi boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,911,331,000 after buying an additional 34,826 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,499,246,000 after buying an additional 127,495 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,120,787,000 after buying an additional 8,259 shares during the period. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.3% in the 3rd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 1,160,702 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,074,381,000 after buying an additional 136,072 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 2,038 shares of company stock worth $2,007,916 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales and comps were robust, with reports of a mid-single-digit to high-single-digit comps jump and strong digital growth, supporting the case for continued top-line strength and membership-driven resilience. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now After Strong March Retail Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: International sales are outpacing U.S. growth in March, signaling that overseas markets are becoming a larger part of Costco’s growth mix—a constructive diversification of revenue drivers. Costco's International Sales Surge Signals Shift in Growth Mix
• Positive Sentiment: Higher fuel prices are already boosting Costco’s fuel sales and foot traffic, which can lift comps and average ticket—even as consumers remain price-aware. Higher Gas Prices Are Already Having a Positive Impact on Costco's Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is pursuing U.K. expansion (Aylesford/Kent), launching a public consultation and creating jobs—local openings can boost international footprint and long-term member growth. Aylesford earmarked for Kent’s first Costco as wholesaler launches public consultation
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains generally favorable (consensus “Moderate Buy”), keeping analyst support intact despite mixed near-term views. Costco Wholesale Corporation NASDAQ: COST Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: New product/food-court items and popular low-priced apparel/gadget features keep customer engagement high but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Costco Introduces New Caramel and Churro Soft Serve Sundae Dessert to Food Court
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a headwind—commentary highlights a premium P/E and a PEG that could limit upside; some analysts caution that the high multiple and recent pullback make further gains dependent on continued execution. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now After Strong March Retail Sales?
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/near-term pressure: the stock has pulled back from recent highs and sits below its 50-day moving average, which can prompt short-term selling by momentum-focused traders. Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $974.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $432.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $995.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $943.54.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, April 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,043.13.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company's product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco's business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.