Farther Finance Advisors LLC Purchases 14,058 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Farther Finance Advisors increased its Costco position by 51.1% in the third quarter, purchasing 14,058 shares and bringing its holdings to 41,594 shares worth approximately $37.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Costco reported strong operating momentum, with September sales rising 13% year over year to $30.02 billion, comparable sales up 11.4%, and digital sales increasing 19%. Its latest quarterly earnings also exceeded estimates, with EPS of $6.75 versus the $6.54 consensus.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,046.27. However, Costco’s premium valuation, margin concerns, tariffs and other legal or operational risks could limit upside.

Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,594 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 14,058 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $37,865,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,754,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, with U.S. comps up 12.5%, Canada up 6.3% and other international markets up 10.8%. Costco September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying demand remained healthy: comparable sales excluding gasoline-price and foreign-exchange effects rose approximately 7.6%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Digital sales also increased 19%, indicating broad momentum beyond Costco’s warehouse locations. Costco September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The strong start to fiscal 2027 supports the view that Costco continues to gain from value-conscious consumers and a resilient membership-based model. Analysts highlighted traffic and transaction growth as particularly important indicators for future revenue performance. Costco Sales Rise in September
• Neutral Sentiment: Several reports note that part of the headline sales increase was helped by higher gasoline prices and potentially temporary, lower-margin sales categories. Investors may therefore focus more closely on traffic, transactions and core sales than on the 13% reported growth rate. Costco Sales Rebound Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointing growth or margin trends. Ongoing tariff and margin-pressure concerns, along with a lawsuit alleging misleading “sugar-free” labeling for a Kirkland drink mix, represent potential risks, though neither appears material to current sales momentum.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Argus reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of COST traded up $5.67 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $947.92. 2,267,778 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,195,423. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $930.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $963.67. The firm has a market cap of $420.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.66, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06.

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, beating 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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