Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Sells 902 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,711 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 902 shares during the period. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,585,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 97.0% in the third quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 3,531 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,214,000 after buying an additional 1,739 shares during the period. 4WEALTH Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. 4WEALTH Advisors Inc. now owns 331 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $306,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,031.1% during the 3rd quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 116,218 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $105,798,000 after buying an additional 105,943 shares in the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 39.7% during the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 9,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,200,000 after buying an additional 2,559 shares during the period. Finally, Affinity Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Affinity Capital Advisors LLC now owns 769 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $729,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $954.63 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $930.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $963.12. The firm has a market cap of $423.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.98, a PEG ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm 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 in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong sales momentum: Costco reported September net sales of approximately $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year. Digital sales increased 19%, supported by expanded delivery options and personalization, indicating continued customer engagement beyond physical warehouses. Costco Wholesale Posts 13% September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet strength: Costco’s reported $21.3 billion liquidity cushion, manageable debt and robust cash generation give it flexibility to expand its warehouse network and invest in e-commerce. This provides an advantage over more financially constrained retail competitors. How Costco’s Balance Sheet Gives It an Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive earnings outlook: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $22.80 from $22.67 and projects FY2028 EPS of $25.01, reinforcing expectations for continued earnings growth. Costco analyst earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive and consumer considerations: Costco continues to outperform or pressure traditional grocery rivals such as Albertsons, while its bulk-pack format and $65 membership fee may not be equally attractive for every household. A potential West Oakland warehouse could support employment and local growth but is not an immediate earnings catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and income competition: COST trades at roughly 46 times earnings, well above the broader market. The 10-year Treasury yield near 5.2% significantly exceeds Costco’s dividend yield, which can reduce the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors and increase valuation pressure. Costco Stock Versus 10-Year Treasury Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Questions about sales quality: Higher gasoline prices contributed to reported sales growth at Costco’s fuel business. If gas prices decline, some of that revenue boost could fade, making the premium valuation harder to justify despite solid underlying membership and digital trends. What Cheaper Gas Would Mean for Costco Sales and Margins

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on COST. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson increased their target price 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. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine 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 an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.