Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Purchases 3,206 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 22.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 17,221 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,206 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,677,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,828,881,000 after purchasing an additional 283,360 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and pharmacy growth offer upside. Costco’s AI-driven search traffic and related online sales are reportedly growing at triple-digit rates, while pharmacy sales have increased nearly 20%. Expanded services, including GLP-1 and fertility offerings, could strengthen member engagement and renewal rates. Costco’s AI Search Traffic Soars
• Positive Sentiment: New partnerships may improve member value. NationsBenefits is making healthcare benefits redeemable at more than 600 participating Costco warehouses, potentially increasing traffic and spending among eligible members. NationsBenefits Expands Member Access
• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum is improving. Market technician Katie Stockton said Costco’s momentum is strengthening heading into November, reinforcing the bullish view following recent gains and the company’s fifth consecutive earnings beat. Costco momentum is improving
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and special-dividend potential provide shareholder support. Costco’s upcoming $1.47 dividend and speculation about a possible special dividend may attract income-oriented investors, although the regular yield remains modest at the current share price. Costco Special Dividend Prospects
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF activity was a modest technical headwind. ETFs were reported as net sellers of COST on October 23, which could add short-term supply but does not materially change Costco’s operating outlook. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is the central concern. With COST trading at roughly 48 times earnings and near record levels, analysts warn that expectations are extremely high. Mixed consumer and macroeconomic conditions mean even a modest slowdown or weaker guidance could pressure the stock. Costco Remains a Defensive Compounder
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed warehouse cancellation removes a potential expansion catalyst. Costco withdrew its application for a warehouse near Highway 55 in Eagle, although the impact is likely limited unless the decision signals broader permitting or expansion challenges. Costco pulls application for warehouse near Highway 55

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. Tigress Financial increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Argus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $992.13 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $940.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $969.21. 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 capitalization of $439.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.79 and a beta of 0.88.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders 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 payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

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.