Whalen Wealth Management Inc. Purchases 1,233 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Whalen Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 67.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,062 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,233 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.2% of Whalen Wealth Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Whalen Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,787,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. City Center Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $208,000. Martin Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1,217.6% during the third quarter. Martin Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,178 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,714,000 after buying an additional 4,785 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 890 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $738,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 40.7% during the 3rd quarter. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 76 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Finally, Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC now owns 1,926 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,753,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded up $6.56 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $948.81. 725,559 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,188,075. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $930.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $963.67. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.70, a PEG ratio of 4.00 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 released 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. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13.0% year over year. Comparable sales increased 12.5% in the U.S., 6.3% in Canada and 10.8% in other international markets, for total comparable growth of 11.4%. The results reinforce Costco’s strong customer traffic and membership-driven business model. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports September Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: International revenue remains an important growth driver. Analysts are monitoring Costco’s overseas performance because continued gains could support Wall Street’s revenue forecasts and provide room for further earnings growth. Costco International Revenue Performance Explored
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s long-term investment case is supported by its reputation as a high-quality growth retailer, a history of dividend increases and potential expansion through new warehouses. Its cash accumulation has also prompted speculation about another special dividend, though no such payment has been announced. Costco Cash and Special Dividend Speculation
• Neutral Sentiment: September’s headline sales benefited from higher gasoline prices and foreign-exchange effects. One analyst also cautioned that some of the comparable-sales surge came from one-time, lower-margin factors, making the quality of the growth more important than the headline figure. Costco September Sales Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Costco trades at a demanding valuation, with a P/E ratio above 45, leaving the stock vulnerable if margins weaken or sales growth normalizes. Tariffs, product costs and other margin pressures remain key risks. Separately, a lawsuit alleging misleading “sugar-free” labeling on a Kirkland drink mix could create limited reputational or legal exposure.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.