Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Lifted by Toth Financial Advisory Corp

Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1,111.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 34,671 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 31,809 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 3.2% of Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $31,562,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Palisade Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock traded up $6.01 on Thursday, reaching $948.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 725,559 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,188,075. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $930.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $963.67. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $420.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Costco Wholesale News

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 business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.27.

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.