Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ Boosts Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 74.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 38,347 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,375 shares during the quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $35,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on COST shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,012.05 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $449.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.21, a P/E/G ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,071.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $928.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $933.51.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and warehouse growth remain strong (e‑commerce comps +20.5%, new stores boosting sales), supporting longer‑term revenue momentum. Costco’s Digital Demand and Warehouse Strength Create a Dual Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Member enthusiasm for new food‑court offering (McDonald’s‑style item) is positive for in‑club traffic and ancillary sales. Costco launches McDonald’s copycat food court item that members call ‘top notch’
• Positive Sentiment: New mobile ordering for cakes/deli could improve customer convenience and drive higher average tickets for the deli category. Costco cake online ordering is coming
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $1,000 but kept a “neutral” rating — the PT is close to current levels, giving limited directional push. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale to $1,000
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and valuation commentary continue to evolve; a recent roundup of analyst moves highlights mixed views that could keep share volatility elevated. How Recent Analyst Moves Are Shaping The Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reporting in mid‑February shows effectively zero reported short position (data contains anomalies), so short squeeze dynamics are unlikely to be a driver. (internal short‑interest entries)
• Negative Sentiment: Gift cards sold at Costco are at risk after the issuer declared bankruptcy, creating potential consumer refunds/liability and reputational concern. Gift cards sold at Costco at risk after issuer declares sudden bankruptcy
• Negative Sentiment: Related recall: Costco issued a recall on certain restaurant gift cards, which amplifies near‑term consumer and operational risk. Costco issues recall on restaurant gift cards
• Negative Sentiment: Legal exposure: Costco faces a U.S. class action alleging salmonella risk (and separate rotisserie‑chicken complaint coverage), which could mean litigation costs, recalls or reputational damage if claims progress. Costco hit by US class action over salmonella risk claims

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.