Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Claudine Adamo Sells 730 Shares

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock traded down $5.13 on Wednesday, hitting $992.23. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,259,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,411,176. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market cap of $440.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $967.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $935.85.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125 and kept a Buy after Costco’s latest quarterly beat, citing strong membership income and in-store traffic as drivers of near-term revenue momentum. BTIG Raises Costco (COST) Target
• Positive Sentiment: Truist lifted its target to $977 (from $926) — a sign analysts are willing to push targets higher after the quarter even as they flag membership growth as a potential headwind. Truist Lifts PT on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Costco closed a ~$6M land deal in Port St. Lucie, FL, supporting continued store growth and long-term membership/traffic expansion in new markets. Port St. Lucie land deal
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind: coverage of ETFs and discount-retail beneficiaries highlights that warehouse clubs like Costco could gain share if consumers stay budget-conscious — supportive for retail multiples and demand. (Market commentary)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/long-term upside debate continues — Motley Fool pieces ask whether COST can reach $1,500 and review long-term investor returns; these are thematic, not catalytic, for near-term moves. Is Costco Stock Going to $1,500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Editorial pieces highlighting Costco’s decade-long outperformance reinforce investor confidence but are not new fundamentals. Could Investing $1,000 in Costco Make You Richer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa nudged its target up to $975 but kept a Neutral rating, underscoring mixed analyst views: better comps/membership but limited near-term upside from current valuation. Daiwa Adjusts Price Target on Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Costco quietly slashed prices on some popular items could pressure margins if wider price cuts persist, a potential drag on near-term earnings despite traffic gains. Costco quietly slashed prices

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after buying an additional 7,116 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.