Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $2,015,046.00 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s 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 in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $920.65 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $932.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $964.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $408.29 billion, a PE ratio of 44.35, a PEG ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s gasoline, pharmacy, travel and other ancillary businesses are increasing customer engagement and expanding its share of members’ wallets. These services may support recurring revenue, traffic and margins beyond merchandise sales. Costco’s Ancillary Businesses Expand Share-of-Wallet Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to pressure traditional grocers through competitive pricing, fresh-food offerings, e-commerce and strong value perception. Growing market share could help sustain sales and membership growth. Has Costco Become Grocery’s Biggest Threat?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco and SCAN Health Plan launched the company’s first Medicare Advantage plans in California and Nevada. The initiative adds another potential member benefit and could create a new avenue for customer engagement, although its financial contribution is not yet clear. SCAN and Costco Launch Medicare Advantage Plans
• Positive Sentiment: New and converted Business Center locations, including projects in Texas and Kansas City, should expand Costco’s commercial customer base and warehouse footprint over time. Costco Business Center Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher fuel prices contributed roughly three percentage points to fiscal fourth-quarter sales growth. While this boosts reported revenue, it reflects higher prices rather than stronger gasoline volume, making the underlying growth rate less impressive. Is One Number Reason Enough to Sell Costco Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising fuel, freight, supplier and merchandise costs could pressure Costco’s already-thin margins. Investors are watching whether the company absorbs the increases to preserve its value proposition or passes them to customers at the risk of slowing demand. Can Costco Absorb Rising Costs?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Commentary questioning whether its growth justifies the high earnings multiple may restrain further gains even as the company’s operating performance remains solid.
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares worth approximately $2.02 million, reducing her direct holdings by 23.57%. The transaction does not change Costco’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on sentiment. Costco Insider Share Sale

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.