Martin Capital Advisors LLP Buys 3,074 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Martin Capital Advisors LLP raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,682 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,074 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 3.7% of Martin Capital Advisors LLP’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Martin Capital Advisors LLP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,993,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after purchasing an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $16,013,000. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after purchasing an additional 5,656 shares during the period. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.0% in the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,766 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,297,000 after purchasing an additional 2,974 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Bank of America lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Freedom Broker lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target for the company. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,081.79.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Higher inflation prompted investors to move toward companies selling everyday necessities. Costco benefited alongside Walmart and Target as a perceived defensive retailer. Walmart Advances as Inflation Data Sends Money Into Defensives
• Positive Sentiment: Strong September sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. The figures reinforce the strength of its membership, value-focused pricing and e-commerce operations. Costco September Sales Jump and Faster Digital Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Costco’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. The payout provides a modest shareholder return and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and balance-sheet support: Analysts highlighted Costco’s approximately $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash flows as advantages for funding new warehouses and digital investments. A Florida city council also gave an early approval for a new store. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Positive earnings expectations: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and expects $25.01 for FY2028, modestly above the company’s current-year consensus outlook. Costco analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Costco’s influence on home-buying decisions, younger membership growth and exclusive seasonal products reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Inside the Costco Effect
• Negative Sentiment: Costco continues to trade at a demanding valuation, with a high price-to-earnings multiple. That leaves COST vulnerable if sales growth, membership trends or consumer spending weaken.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale 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 transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade 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 at the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $982.00 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $931.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $963.13. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $435.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.30, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. 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 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.