Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Lifted by WealthCare Asset Management LLC

WealthCare Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 128.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,646 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,486 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 2.1% of WealthCare Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. WealthCare Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,409,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% during the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after acquiring an additional 160,893 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after acquiring an additional 283,360 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,362,188,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and pharmacy growth offer upside. Costco’s AI-driven search traffic and related online sales are reportedly growing at triple-digit rates, while pharmacy sales have increased nearly 20%. Expanded services, including GLP-1 and fertility offerings, could strengthen member engagement and renewal rates. Costco’s AI Search Traffic Soars
• Positive Sentiment: New partnerships may improve member value. NationsBenefits is making healthcare benefits redeemable at more than 600 participating Costco warehouses, potentially increasing traffic and spending among eligible members. NationsBenefits Expands Member Access
• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum is improving. Market technician Katie Stockton said Costco’s momentum is strengthening heading into November, reinforcing the bullish view following recent gains and the company’s fifth consecutive earnings beat. Costco momentum is improving
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and special-dividend potential provide shareholder support. Costco’s upcoming $1.47 dividend and speculation about a possible special dividend may attract income-oriented investors, although the regular yield remains modest at the current share price. Costco Special Dividend Prospects
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF activity was a modest technical headwind. ETFs were reported as net sellers of COST on October 23, which could add short-term supply but does not materially change Costco’s operating outlook. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is the central concern. With COST trading at roughly 48 times earnings and near record levels, analysts warn that expectations are extremely high. Mixed consumer and macroeconomic conditions mean even a modest slowdown or weaker guidance could pressure the stock. Costco Remains a Defensive Compounder
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed warehouse cancellation removes a potential expansion catalyst. Costco withdrew its application for a warehouse near Highway 55 in Eagle, although the impact is likely limited unless the decision signals broader permitting or expansion challenges. Costco pulls application for warehouse near Highway 55

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, 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 value of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Tigress Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, CICC Research assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.3%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $992.13 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $940.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $969.21. The company has a market capitalization of $439.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.79 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale 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.