Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Raised by Investment Partners LTD.

Investment Partners LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 91.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,018 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,920 shares during the period. Investment Partners LTD.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,658,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after buying an additional 160,893 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,828,881,000 after buying an additional 283,360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $448.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.76, a PEG ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50 day moving average of $943.31 and a 200-day moving average of $970.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.