Private Advisory Group LLC Decreases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Private Advisory Group LLC lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 21,647 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,536 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.6% of Private Advisory Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Private Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $20,037,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $985.27 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $437.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $934.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $934.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. 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 was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed?on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell?side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: High?visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short?term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Short?interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Food?safety litigation: a class?action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near?term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.