Vontobel Holding Ltd. Acquires 18,062 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,048 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,062 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $80,154,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Snider Financial Group raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.5% in the third quarter. Snider Financial Group now owns 5,507 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,013,000 after purchasing an additional 338 shares during the period. Mosley Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. Mosley Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 339,113 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $284,203,000 after buying an additional 6,091 shares in the last quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA now owns 7,378 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,716,000 after buying an additional 448 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 800 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $729,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $989.11 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $438.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.64, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $933.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $963.28.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,087.40.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results reinforce the strength of Costco’s membership model, e-commerce business and value-focused offering. September Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy rating while setting a $1,065 price target after previously publicizing a higher $1,250 target. Other coverage highlights Costco’s sales growth, membership loyalty and digital gains, supporting the recent recovery above key moving averages. Tigress Financial Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payment signals continued cash-flow strength. Costco Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion pipeline: Proposed warehouse projects in Macon and Oakland, along with a planned Merced County relocation, point to continued investment in Costco’s store network. Infrastructure financing of up to $30 million could support the Macon development. Macon Costco Project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal 2027 executive bonus plan adds sustainability-related measures. The change may support long-term operational goals, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Costco Executive Bonus Update
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks remain: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or membership trends slow. Persistent inflation and potentially higher interest rates could also pressure consumer spending and market valuations.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million. The transaction is relatively small compared with Costco’s market value, but it may add a modest cautionary signal for investors. Costco Insider Sale

Costco Wholesale 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.