Sepio Capital LP Sells 1,345 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Sepio Capital LP lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 24.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,051 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,345 shares during the quarter. Sepio Capital LP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,688,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Freedom Broker lowered their price target 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. Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. HSBC raised Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-five research 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 data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.

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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong. CICC initiated coverage with an Outperform rating, while Tigress Financial raised its price target to $1,250. Erste Group also increased its FY2028 EPS estimate to $25.07 from $25.01, above the current-year consensus estimate of $22.70. CICC coverage article Tigress Financial price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Growth and customer engagement remain key positives. Costco’s membership model has delivered substantial long-term shareholder returns, and the company is reportedly using purchasing data to better target high-spending members. REJURAN Cosmetics is also expanding through Costco’s first Beauty Table program, potentially adding traffic and broadening its premium beauty offering. Costco customer spending article REJURAN retail expansion article
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term growth screens are favorable, and analysts’ average recommendation is equivalent to a Buy. However, these reports largely reiterate existing optimism rather than provide a new earnings catalyst. Zacks growth stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain concerns. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or disappointing growth. Kroger is planning major investments and price cuts to win back market share from Costco and Walmart, which could intensify grocery competition and pressure margins. Kroger competition article

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST traded down $14.89 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,003.32. 2,405,591 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,251,754. 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 $1,096.50. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $937.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $963.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.33, a PEG ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.