Private Advisor Group LLC Purchases 2,318 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Private Advisor Group LLC raised its Costco stake by 3.0%, buying 2,318 shares to hold 78,605 shares valued at about $72.76 million after the quarter.
• Costco beat quarterly estimates with $69.6 billion in revenue and $4.58 EPS—driven by ~22.6% online sales growth and rising membership income—which prompted several analysts to raise price targets (street average ≈ $1,035; BMO to $1,315).
• Shares trade near $998 with a high valuation (PE ≈ 51.9), and insiders sold roughly 6,915 shares (~$6.3M) over the past three months, creating valuation concerns for some investors despite analyst upgrades.

Private Advisor Group LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 78,605 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 2,318 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $72,758,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Bank increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,787,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,035.35.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 double‑beat — Costco reported revenue of ~$69.6B and GAAP EPS of $4.58, with comp‑store strength and membership fee growth that underpin near‑term sales momentum. This is the main catalyst supporting the rally. Costco Wholesale beats quarterly comparable sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — several brokers (notably a large Street high by BMO cited in coverage) raised targets and reiterated outperform/overweight views, adding upward pressure. Costco Stock Scores New Street‑High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & balance‑sheet strength — commentary and notes on buybacks, a rising cash pile and the “special dividend” thesis are attracting income/return‑focused investors and support further upside. Costco Wholesale: Buy Now, Get Paid Later as Cash and Returns Build
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum — online sales growth (~22.6%) and rising membership income are cited on the call as durable drivers of mix and margins, supporting investor confidence. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — while many raised targets, a few (e.g., Goldman) trimmed targets even as they kept buy calls; that creates a mix of conviction levels among institutional holders. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Muted market reaction — despite the beat, some headlines note a tepid price move (and some pre‑market weakness) as investors weigh valuation metrics versus growth. That can lead to intraday volatility. Costco Stock Exhibits Muted Reaction Amid Double‑Beat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and “red flags” narrative — some outlets argue the stock is expensive (high P/E, PEG) and list risks that could cap upside; those narratives are pressuring more value‑sensitive investors. Is Costco Too Expensive? 3 Red Flags That Could Send Shares Sliding

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $998.10 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. 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 business's fifty day moving average price is $961.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $935.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $443.03 billion, a PE ratio of 51.90, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 1.00.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.