Maxele Advisors LLC Takes $1.25 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Maxele Advisors purchased a new stake of 1,349 Costco shares in Q3, valued at approximately $1.25 million.
• Costco slightly beat expectations in its most recent quarter (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% YoY), trades at a market cap of about $444B with a P/E around 52, and carries an average analyst target near $1,039 ("Moderate Buy").
• Insider selling totaled 7,645 shares (~$7.05M) over the past three months while institutional investors own ~68.48% of the stock; Costco also pays a quarterly dividend of $1.30 (annualized $5.20, ~0.5% yield).

Maxele Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 1,349 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,249,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $916,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,104,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,001.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $444.42 billion, a PE ratio of 52.09, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $978.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $937.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland private-label strength is being highlighted as a growing competitive moat for Costco — the brand boosts margins, differentiates the value proposition for members, and reduces price sensitivity, supporting long-term same-store sales and loyalty. How Kirkland Quietly Became Costco's Most Powerful Moat
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is piloting faster checkout technology that could reduce in-store friction, lower labor costs per transaction, and increase throughput — a potential near-term boost to store productivity and member satisfaction. Costco's New Checkout Tech Could Get You Out The Door In Just Seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Costco will lower the cost of certain fertility drugs in New Jersey through its pharmacy program — a targeted healthcare/pricing initiative that can drive foot traffic, pharmacy volumes and goodwill (modest margin impact but positive for membership value). Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
• Positive Sentiment: High share price and sustained outperformance have put Costco on lists of potential stock-split candidates — talk of a split can buoy retail demand and reduce psychological barriers to buying at high nominal prices. 3 Stocks That Could Be Next to Announce a Stock Split
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investment pieces continue to profile Costco as a long-term buy-and-hold name vs. peers (e.g., comparisons to Coca‑Cola and lists of top retail holdings). These reinforce bullish narratives but don’t materially change near-term fundamentals. Best Stock to Buy and Hold Forever: Costco vs. Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Negotiations to site a new Asheville, NC Costco appear to have re-engaged — a potential local expansion that could add incremental sales over time but is still early-stage. Is Asheville Costco still possible? Store 'reengages' in negotiations
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has recalled prepared meatloaf meal kits and warned consumers after potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states. Food-safety recalls can hit short-term sales in affected categories, raise inspection/compliance costs, and create reputational risk if issues widen. Costco recalls prepared meatloaf meals over possible Salmonella risk

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Gordon Haskett upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,039.13.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

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.