Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $732,204.60 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock traded down $5.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $992.23. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,259,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,411,176. The company has a market capitalization of $440.42 billion, a PE ratio of 51.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average of $967.03 and a 200 day moving average of $935.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after purchasing an additional 90,107 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125 and kept a Buy after Costco’s latest quarterly beat, citing strong membership income and in-store traffic as drivers of near-term revenue momentum. BTIG Raises Costco (COST) Target
• Positive Sentiment: Truist lifted its target to $977 (from $926) — a sign analysts are willing to push targets higher after the quarter even as they flag membership growth as a potential headwind. Truist Lifts PT on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Costco closed a ~$6M land deal in Port St. Lucie, FL, supporting continued store growth and long-term membership/traffic expansion in new markets. Port St. Lucie land deal
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind: coverage of ETFs and discount-retail beneficiaries highlights that warehouse clubs like Costco could gain share if consumers stay budget-conscious — supportive for retail multiples and demand. (Market commentary)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/long-term upside debate continues — Motley Fool pieces ask whether COST can reach $1,500 and review long-term investor returns; these are thematic, not catalytic, for near-term moves. Is Costco Stock Going to $1,500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Editorial pieces highlighting Costco’s decade-long outperformance reinforce investor confidence but are not new fundamentals. Could Investing $1,000 in Costco Make You Richer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa nudged its target up to $975 but kept a Neutral rating, underscoring mixed analyst views: better comps/membership but limited near-term upside from current valuation. Daiwa Adjusts Price Target on Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Costco quietly slashed prices on some popular items could pressure margins if wider price cuts persist, a potential drag on near-term earnings despite traffic gains. Costco quietly slashed prices

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.