Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. Buys 4,681 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 808.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,260 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,681 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.6% of Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on COST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,014.96 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $989.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $940.35. The firm has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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.