Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Decreased by Stokes Capital Advisors LLC

Stokes Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,350 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 606 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 2.0% of Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,512,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Mirador Capital Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the third quarter. Mirador Capital Partners LP now owns 5,476 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,985,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 94.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 3,488 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,175,000 after purchasing an additional 1,694 shares during the last quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 72.8% during the 3rd quarter. Decker Wealth Management LLC now owns 572 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $520,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Bullock Wealth Management Group grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group now owns 1,552 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avaii Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $301,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $946.92 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $930.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $963.38. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.94 billion, a PE ratio of 45.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported approximately $30.02 billion in September net sales, up 13% year over year. Total comparable sales increased 11.4%, U.S. comparable sales rose 12.5%, and digitally enabled sales climbed 19%, supported by stronger traffic and transaction growth. Costco’s September Sales Rise 13% on Strong Comps, Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see improving trends: UBS characterized the September results as evidence of accelerating trends, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained a Sector Perform rating and a $1,000 price target, implying additional upside from recently reported levels. Costco September Sales Point to Accelerating Trends, UBS Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data is inconclusive: A report lists October short interest at zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. That figure appears inconsistent with normal market data and is unlikely to be a meaningful trading signal without confirmation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support remains mixed: DA Davidson reiterated a Hold rating following a warehouse-club tour, indicating that strong operating trends have not yet led all analysts to recommend buying the stock. Costco Stock: Here’s What DA Davidson Found During Its Warehouse Club Tour
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin risks temper the sales beat: RBC noted that Costco’s growth may already be reflected in its share price. Analysts also cautioned that gasoline, foreign exchange, and other one-time or lower-margin factors contributed to the September improvement, potentially limiting the impact on earnings and margins. Costco’s Sales Rebound in September Looks Great on Paper

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the 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 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on COST. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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.