Vontobel Holding Ltd. Purchases 18,062 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 88,048 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,062 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $80,154,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sarasin & Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in 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. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan grew its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $16,013,000. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.0% during the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,297,000 after acquiring an additional 2,974 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

COST opened at $989.11 on Friday. 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 cap of $438.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.64, a PEG ratio of 4.23 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. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $933.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $963.28.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued 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 of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,087.40.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s 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 $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results reinforce the strength of Costco’s membership model, e-commerce business and value-focused offering. September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy rating while setting a $1,065 price target after previously publicizing a higher $1,250 target. Other coverage highlights Costco’s sales growth, membership loyalty and digital gains, supporting the recent recovery above key moving averages. Tigress Financial Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payment signals continued cash-flow strength. Costco Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion pipeline: Proposed warehouse projects in Macon and Oakland, along with a planned Merced County relocation, point to continued investment in Costco’s store network. Infrastructure financing of up to $30 million could support the Macon development. Macon Costco Project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal 2027 executive bonus plan adds sustainability-related measures. The change may support long-term operational goals, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Costco Executive Bonus Update
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks remain: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or membership trends slow. Persistent inflation and potentially higher interest rates could also pressure consumer spending and market valuations.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million. The transaction is relatively small compared with Costco’s market value, but it may add a modest cautionary signal for investors. Costco Insider Sale

About Costco Wholesale

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.