Toth Financial Advisory Corp Buys 31,809 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Toth Financial Advisory Corp increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1,111.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,671 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 31,809 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 3.2% of Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Toth Financial Advisory Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $31,562,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock traded up $6.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $948.26. 725,559 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,188,075. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $930.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $963.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.70, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results 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. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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 Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.