Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Madrona Financial Services LLC Boosts Holdings

Madrona Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 6,367 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 629 shares during the period. Madrona Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,797,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Brookmont Capital Management grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Brookmont Capital Management now owns 298 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,485 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,993,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% in the third quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,595 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,452,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Nabity Jensen Investment Management Inc raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.4% in the third quarter. Nabity Jensen Investment Management Inc now owns 1,264 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,151,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 35.4% in the third quarter. Lantern Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $964,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were 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 owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,003.32 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $444.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.29 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $937.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $962.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong. CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, while Tigress Financial raised its price target to $1,250. Erste Group also increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $25.07 from $25.01, above the current-year consensus estimate of $22.70. CICC coverage article Tigress Financial price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Growth and customer engagement remain key positives. Costco’s membership model has delivered substantial long-term shareholder returns, and the company is reportedly using purchasing data to better target high-spending members. REJURAN Cosmetics is also expanding through Costco’s first Beauty Table program, potentially adding traffic and broadening its premium beauty offering. Costco customer spending article REJURAN retail expansion article
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term growth screens are favorable, and analysts’ average recommendation is equivalent to a Buy. However, these reports largely reiterate existing optimism rather than provide a new earnings catalyst. Zacks growth stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or disappointing growth. Kroger is planning major investments and price cuts to win back market share from Costco and Walmart, which could intensify grocery competition and pressure margins. Kroger competition article

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.