Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Prosperitas Financial LLC Increases Position

Prosperitas Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,568 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 722 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.6% of Prosperitas Financial LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Prosperitas Financial LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,069,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Tigress Financial upped 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 note on Thursday, October 15th. Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty-five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were 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 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. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month 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 firm has a market cap of $448.57 billion, a PE ratio of 48.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $943.31 and a 200-day moving average of $970.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.87 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS 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 issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

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.