Fortress Financial Solutions LLC Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Fortress Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 1,034 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $942,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.8% of Fortress Financial Solutions LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $982.00 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $435.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.30, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s 50-day moving average is $931.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $963.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Raymond James Financial decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Argus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,081.79.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

About Costco Wholesale

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.