Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Grows Stake

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 339,113 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 6,091 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $284,203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of COST. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Main Street Group LTD increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,221,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale 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 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 transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $989.11 on Friday. 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 Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $438.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $933.15 and a 200-day moving average of $963.28.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders 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 payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on COST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. HSBC raised shares of Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-four 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,087.40.

Key Headlines 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

About Costco Wholesale

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.