Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Reduces Position

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 77,078 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 18,418 shares during the period. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $70,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 28.5% during the 3rd quarter. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators now owns 48,130 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,815,000 after acquiring an additional 10,676 shares during the last quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 1,581 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,440,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 178.9% during the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 4,211 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,833,000 after acquiring an additional 2,701 shares in the last quarter. Welch Financial Planning LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Welch Financial Planning LLC now owns 469 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $427,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van Strum & Towne Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Van Strum & Towne Inc. now owns 819 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $746,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,092.23.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total transaction of $975,555.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,698 shares in the company, valued at $6,176,347.10. This represents a 13.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 4,200 shares of company stock worth $4,044,632 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,092.21 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,102.84. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $963.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $974.45. The company has a market cap of $483.99 billion, a PE ratio of 52.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

Investors following COST have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to expand its Hyderabad technology center after reporting a 60% productivity gain from AI, potentially supporting efficiency as the company grows. Article: Costco reveals 60% AI productivity gain in major expansion
• Negative Sentiment: A federal lawsuit alleging misleading discounts presents a potential legal and reputational overhang; the provided report does not detail the allegations or potential exposure. Article: Costco faces federal suit over misleading discounts
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco to Hold from Buy, citing the stock’s rich price, while an overbought RSI reading points to possible near-term momentum fatigue. Article: Costco Is Up 18% in a Year. Freedom Broker Says That’s Enough

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.