Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Lessened by Sharper & Granite LLC

Sharper & Granite LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,396 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 475 shares during the quarter. Sharper & Granite LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,391,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Group LTD increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,221,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 803 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $769,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SHUTTLEWORTH & Co lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. SHUTTLEWORTH & Co now owns 2,442 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported October net sales of $24.50 billion, up 12.6% year over year. U.S. comparable sales rose 8.1% excluding gasoline-price changes, while digital growth also accelerated—evidence of continued customer demand. Costco’s October Net Sales Jump 12.6% as Digital Growth Accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $1,150 from $1,015 and maintained an overweight rating. Bank of America also kept its buy rating following the stronger U.S. comparable-sales results. JPMorgan price-target update Costco retains BofA buy as October U.S. comps rise
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage points to solid share-price momentum, supported by a string of earnings beats, but investors may be watching whether earnings growth can justify the stock’s valuation. Costco Stock: Earnings Growth Could Shape the Next Big Move
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a key risk: reports cite a trailing P/E near 49, leaving limited room for disappointment, while earnings revisions have raised concerns. Citi maintained a hold rating with a $1,020 target, reflecting a more cautious view than JPMorgan’s. Costco Stock: Why Analysts Are Split Despite Strong October Sales

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on COST. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Freedom Broker reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock traded down $12.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,053.56. 2,513,062 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,207,412. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.75, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $952.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $972.49. 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) 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 net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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 paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.

The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.