Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Talbot Financial LLC Lowers Stake

Talbot Financial LLC reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,677 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,773 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.3% of Talbot Financial LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Talbot Financial LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $17,913,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. Finally, Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,549,616,000 after acquiring an additional 2,497,652 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Roth Capital restated a “sell” rating and issued a $781.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on 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. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,087.40.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $995.53 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $934.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $963.03. The company has a market capitalization of $441.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.95, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is reportedly adding a $2.99 sweet treat to its food-court menu. While financially modest, the low-priced offering could reinforce the company’s value proposition and drive additional customer traffic. Costco adds a $2.99 food-court treat
• Positive Sentiment: Recent sales momentum remains a key support for COST, with September sales reportedly increasing 13% year over year. The growth highlights continued customer demand despite broader concerns about retail spending. Costco valuation and sales growth
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is scheduled to pay a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share on Nov. 13. Although its approximately 0.6% yield is low, regular and occasional special dividends add to the long-term shareholder return case. Costco dividend analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco continues expanding its warehouse footprint, including a 152,000-square-foot location with a 32-pump gas station scheduled to open in November. The project offers incremental growth potential, though its near-term earnings effect is likely limited. New Costco warehouse opening
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses comparing Costco with Walmart emphasize Costco’s stronger competitive moat and recent relative performance, but also frame the stock as a long-term quality investment rather than a clear short-term bargain. Costco versus Walmart comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Truist analyst Scot Ciccarelli reaffirmed a Hold rating and a $955 price target, indicating limited upside after Costco’s strong run. The target is below recent trading levels, reinforcing valuation concerns. Truist Costco rating
• Negative Sentiment: Costco trades at a demanding valuation—roughly 48 times earnings—despite its strong sales growth. Rising prices for oil and protein could also pressure margins or merchandise affordability, increasing the risk of investor disappointment. Costco price tracker and inflation

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company 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.