Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Brighton Jones LLC

Brighton Jones LLC reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,958 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,707 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,810,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on COST. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,090.55.

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

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,053.56 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $466.86 billion, a PE ratio of 50.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.85. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $952.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $972.49.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly 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. 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%. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction 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 $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, 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 value of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale 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.