Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Trimmed by Payden & Rygel

Payden & Rygel trimmed its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 87.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,260 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,700 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,147,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. 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 fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $943.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $970.25. The company has a market capitalization of $448.57 billion, a PE ratio of 48.76, a P/E/G ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.88.

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, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Insider Activity

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 transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’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 owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.