Swiss National Bank Has $1.18 Billion Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank trimmed its Costco stake to 1,278,400 shares—about $1.18 billion (0.29% of the company)—selling 64,600 shares in Q3 and leaving COST as its 20th-largest holding.
• Costco beat Q2 expectations with EPS of $4.58 (vs. $4.55 est.) and revenue of $69.6B, up 9.2% year-over-year, which helped lift the stock roughly 1.6% on the news.
• Analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with a $1,035.35 average price target; Costco trades at a ~$443B market cap with a P/E of ~51.9 and pays a $5.20 annual dividend (0.5% yield).

Swiss National Bank reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,278,400 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 64,600 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.7% of Swiss National Bank's portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.29% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,183,325,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.10 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $443.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $961.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $935.32.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on COST. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Gordon Haskett lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,035.35.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted a Q2 earnings beat (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55 est.) and raised sales, reinforcing the company’s resilient sales and margins — this helped lift sentiment. Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Shares Up 1.6% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson (and other brokers) lifted several price targets — the largest raise reported pushes the target to $1,315, signaling bullish long-term estimates from at least one shop. Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Price Target Raised to $1,315.00
• Positive Sentiment: Additional analyst target increases ($1,125 / $1,100 / $1,060 / $977 reported) add to bullish bias from some firms, supporting upside expectations. Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Price Target Raised to $1,125.00
• Positive Sentiment: Management said potential tariff refunds from a federal trade court ruling would likely be passed to members via lower prices — this could reinforce Costco’s value proposition and membership retention. Costco Tariff Refunds Could Reinforce Low Prices And Membership Value
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Port St. Lucie is moving closer to landing a Costco store — continued steady store growth underpins long-term sales runway. Port St. Lucie moves closer to landing a Costco retail store
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating (limits immediate upside despite higher targets from other houses). Costco Wholesale's (COST) Neutral Rating Reiterated at DA Davidson
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi maintained a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target — a sign some large brokers see limited near-term multiple expansion. Citi Maintains Neutral Rating on Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) with $1000 Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a potential stock split and new residential/warehouse concepts are being debated by commentators — interesting for liquidity/strategy but not immediate catalysts. Costco's $1,000 Price Tag Makes A Stock Split Hard To Ignore
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $1,088, signaling some analyst skepticism on upside from current levels. The Goldman Sachs Group Cuts Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Price Target to $1,088.00
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: BJ’s and other warehouse rivals are stepping up strategies to lure shoppers, which could pressure market share or margins in certain regions. BJ’s Wholesale makes bold move to lure more shoppers

Costco Wholesale 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.