Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Marietta Wealth Management LLC

Marietta Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,967 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 724 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.7% of Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,854,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Betterment LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.4% during the 1st quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 18,884 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $17,860,000 after acquiring an additional 571 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 139,638 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $132,066,000 after acquiring an additional 3,096 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Roth Capital set a $769.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.3%

COST stock opened at $865.65 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $899.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $936.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $384.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.37, a PEG ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports strong traffic gains and rising digital engagement, reinforcing Costco’s value/membership-driven model and supporting durable revenue growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast says Costco’s global expansion is gaining momentum — a tailwind for long-term store-level sales and membership growth outside the U.S. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 247WallSt publishes a bullish take arguing Costco could surge and even split its stock in 2026, which can attract momentum investors and spark speculative buying. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/deal coverage highlights a discounted membership offer (digital Shop Card for new Gold Star sign-ups) that could modestly boost new-member adds in the near term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives-focused pieces note increased trading strategies around COST (buying leveraged upside via spreads), signaling active trader interest but not a directional fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morning?read pieces (The Motley Fool / Yahoo guides) reiterate Costco’s steady business model: memberships drive profitability and slow, consistent comp growth is the core thesis — helpful context for buy-and-hold investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is gaining ground in China, highlighting competitive risks to Costco’s international growth and margin profile in that market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that COST has “tumbled despite higher free cash flow and FCF margins” underscores investor frustration that operational strength hasn’t translated into price support — a sentiment drag. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Logistics/cargo-theft stories include a theft of lobster meat destined for Costco stores — a reminder of supply-chain and security risks that can create isolated product disruptions and minor cost/headline noise. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 6,339 shares of company stock worth $5,916,642 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.