Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST is Everett Harris & Co. CA’s 4th Largest Position

Everett Harris & Co. CA lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 787,470 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,692 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 9.0% of Everett Harris & Co. CA’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Everett Harris & Co. CA owned 0.18% of Costco Wholesale worth $728,906,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Peterson Wealth Services grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $13,479,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the second quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $874,000. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco announced its next dividend payment (record/paid schedule) that supports income-focused holders and underscores predictable cash returns for shareholders. Costco to pay dividends on February 13
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive with an average rating of “Moderate Buy,” which can limit downside from coordinated selling and supports investor confidence. Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) and multiple long-term bullish write-ups reinforce the narrative that Costco’s membership model and warehouse expansion remain durable drivers for growth. These narratives can attract longer-term buyers. Jim Cramer Says “I Want You to Stay With Costco”
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco as a momentum/long-term growth stock reiterates positives (same-store sales, new warehouses), but these are largely reiterations rather than new catalysts. Why Costco is a Top Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data in recent feeds is inconsistent/erroneous (zeros/NaN) and should not be treated as a reliable signal on current positioning. (No link — data summary.)
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s $5 rotisserie chickens are not preservative?free, claiming use of sodium phosphate and carrageenan; this raises legal, settlement and reputational risks tied to a high?volume, signature product. Such suits can pressure near-term sentiment and valuation multiples. Costco Is Sued Over Preservatives in Its $5 Rotisserie Chickens
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets amplify the lawsuit story (local filing in San Diego), increasing media attention and potential customer PR impact — a headline risk that likely contributed to today’s selloff. Costco accused of deceiving shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/peer-compare pieces argue competitors like Dollar General may offer more upside given turnaround and real?estate/digital initiatives — a narrative that can cap multiple expansion for Costco given its already-premium valuation. Costco vs. Dollar General: Which is the better buy?

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $952.89 on Friday. 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’s 50-day moving average price is $905.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $929.87. The company has a market cap of $422.96 billion, a PE ratio of 51.04, a P/E/G ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, October 9th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.