Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Purchased by Versant Capital Management Inc

Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,288 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 717 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,083,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $9,300,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the second quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $148,193,000 after acquiring an additional 6,200 shares during the last quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $1,413,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.5%

COST stock opened at $914.94 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $933.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $965.29. The company has a market capitalization of $405.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.07, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ancillary businesses—including gasoline, pharmacy and travel—are increasing member engagement, broadening share of wallet and potentially supporting margins. These recurring, service-oriented offerings strengthen the membership-based model. Costco’s Ancillary Businesses Expand Share-of-Wallet Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: New and converted Business Center locations in Texas and Kansas City should expand Costco’s commercial-customer base, while the company’s broader warehouse expansion and global growth strategy provide additional long-term sales opportunities. Costco Business Center Breaks Ground Near H Mart Plaza
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary remains bullish on Costco’s durable growth profile. Analysts and investors point to its earnings consistency, strong renewal rates, digital growth and intermittent special dividends as reasons to own the stock even if another large special payout is not declared in 2027. Costco Special Dividend Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco recently exceeded fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, but investors are weighing that performance against a high valuation and margin sensitivity. The stock’s potential for a split is also speculative and would not change the company’s underlying value. Should You Buy, Hold or Sell Costco Stock After Its Q4 Earnings Beat?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports about a returning food-court dessert and the reopening of a location as a Business Center may improve customer engagement, but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares worth approximately $2.02 million, reducing her direct holdings by 23.57%. The sale does not indicate a fundamental change, but it may weigh on sentiment given COST’s elevated valuation. Costco Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Potential AI-related increases in product and supply-chain costs could raise prices before Black Friday, creating a consumer-affordability risk even though the pressure is not specific to Costco. Costco Prices and AI Cost Pressures

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Freedom Broker decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.