Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Position Decreased by Federated Hermes Inc.

Federated Hermes Inc. lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 372,984 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 47,350 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. owned about 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $345,246,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in 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 buying an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 2nd quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 657 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $645,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wolff Wiese Magana LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 1,202 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,190,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong balance sheet and rising membership fees highlighted as reasons Costco can weather retail headwinds, supporting the bull case. Can Costco Outgrow Retail Headwinds? The Balance Sheet Says Yes
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley lists Costco among top picks into earnings — an analyst endorsement that can support demand for the shares. Morgan Stanley’s top picks include AMD and Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Costco as a strong growth stock across styles (growth/value/momentum), which may attract multi-style investors. Here’s Why Costco (COST) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Investor guidance on company fundamentals — Fool articles note high membership renewal rates and location-level revenue growth, reinforcing long-term resilience. 3 Important Metrics All Costco Stock Investors Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported January short-interest data appears to be erroneous (zeros/NaN) and is not providing meaningful directional info. (Likely a data glitch.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Press and lifestyle coverage (shopping tips, product write-ups, “how to buy gold” pieces) drive consumer visibility but are unlikely to move the stock materially. 9 Tips And Tricks For Shopping At Costco On A Budget In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/market-strategy pieces note recent rebound and trading ideas — indicates elevated trader interest but not a fundamental change. Costco Stock Has Moved Up Over The Last Month – What Are The Best Plays Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Company executive reported insider selling (EVP sold ~$838k) — insider sales can trigger caution among investors even if routine. Insider Selling: Costco EVP Sells $838,321 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: New class-action lawsuit over alleged false “no preservatives” claims on Kirkland rotisserie chicken may pose reputational and legal risk. Costco’s popular bargain meal at center of new lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and scenario pieces (e.g., a speculative path to a $700 share price) can amplify downside sentiment among traders despite strong fundamentals. How Costco Stock Falls To $700?

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.8%

COST opened at $970.28 on Wednesday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $430.68 billion, a PE ratio of 51.97, a P/E/G ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $903.08 and its 200-day moving average is $929.49. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Roth Mkm set a $769.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.