Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 44.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 191,711 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 155,084 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $174,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 3,443 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,135,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Randall & Associates Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Randall & Associates Wealth Management now owns 328 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Miller Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Miller Financial Services LLC now owns 881 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $802,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Blue Jean Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Jean Financial LLC now owns 1,652 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,504,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Finally, West Branch Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 4,475 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,073,000 after buying an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Value proposition strengthened by inflation: With consumer prices rising 3.7% year over year and gasoline prices up sharply, Costco’s low-margin, high-volume model and reported 14% markup cap could attract shoppers seeking lower prices. Inflation and Costco’s value model
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: CICC initiated coverage of Costco with an “Outperform” rating, adding a new bullish view on the company’s long-term prospects. CICC Costco coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and membership durability: Costco operates 292 of its 939 warehouses outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico, leaving room for overseas membership growth. Articles also highlight the company’s strong customer retention, a feature that supports recurring membership revenue. Costco overseas membership growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital execution: Costco, Walmart and Target are benefiting from faster delivery, AI-enabled shopping and marketplace partnerships, supporting continued e-commerce growth. Retail digital sales growth
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF purchases and coverage describing Costco’s desserts, pumpkin pie, tote bags and planned South Meridian warehouse opening reinforce brand engagement and store expansion, but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. ETF purchases of Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s supplier controls and food-safety procedures may protect customer trust, though attention to food-safety risks highlights an ongoing operational issue for grocery retailers. Costco food-safety procedures
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Costco trades at the highest earnings multiple among six large retailers in one comparison, despite ranking only fifth in operating margin. That premium leaves less room for execution disappointments and may limit upside. Costco valuation versus rivals
• Negative Sentiment: Walmart’s aggressive holiday-sales ambitions and early Black Friday promotions reinforce competitive pressure, particularly around price and convenience. Walmart holiday competition

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of COST stock opened at $998.31 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $442.38 billion, a PE ratio of 48.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $935.99 and a 200-day moving average of $962.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

About Costco Wholesale

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.