Savvy Advisors Inc. Increases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Savvy Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 9,329 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 538 shares during the period. Savvy Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,045,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 638.7% in the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $225,023,000 after buying an additional 196,537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 55.0% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 490,871 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $485,933,000 after buying an additional 174,082 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a bullish view on Costco and highlighted a long-term growth runway, which helped lift the stock as investors price in durable membership-driven growth. Costco Stock Pops as Analyst Flags Growth Runway
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support continues: Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform rating, reinforcing buy-side confidence and possibly supporting multiple expansion. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity: a top executive executed a notable share purchase, which investors often view as management confidence in near-term fundamentals. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is pushing standalone gas stations in high-fuel-cost markets and opened a Manitoba Business Centre — moves that enhance value perception and broaden B2B revenue channels. Will Costco’s Gas and Business Centre Refine Its Value Narrative?
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed processing and reduce friction; potential margin benefits are longer-term and execution-dependent. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context and consumer interest pieces (product roundups, bakery comparisons) keep the brand top-of-mind but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. I’ve worked at Costco for 20 years
• Negative Sentiment: Value-price competition is heating up: Sam’s Club raised membership fees and grocery chains are cutting prices, which could intensify a margin squeeze across the sector; analysts suggest membership-price moves at competitors may pressure Costco to respond strategically. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a PE ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $989.68 and its 200 day moving average is $940.51.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.