Erste Asset Management GmbH Sells 16,353 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Erste Asset Management GmbH lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 68.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,658 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 16,353 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,033,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Warm Springs Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.3% in the third quarter. Warm Springs Advisors Inc. now owns 4,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,862,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 15.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 9,925 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,187,000 after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. now owns 647 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $599,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Whalerock Point Partners LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Whalerock Point Partners LLC now owns 12,948 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,985,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 50.6% in the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 628 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $581,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,014.39.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,010.79 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market cap of $448.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.14, a PEG ratio of 5.19 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average of $948.16 and a 200 day moving average of $935.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was 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%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with a “Buy” and a $1,185 price target, signaling material upside from current levels and lending institutional momentum to the name.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s resilience in a K-shaped economy — pricing power, loyal executive members and margin durability — supporting the stock’s defensive growth narrative. What’s Going On With Costco Wholesale Stock Today?
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a long-term bullish piece framing Costco’s business model as attractive for buy-and-hold investors, reinforcing the stock’s appeal for portfolio allocation. Costco: A Strong Business Model For Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Merchandising and pricing moves — Costco added more national brands and cut prices on select items — which can boost traffic and member perceived value, supporting same-store fundamentals. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco heads into Q2 with consensus expectations for revenue growth (~+8.6%) and EPS (~+12.7%), which supports the bull case but raises the bar — strong results could be priced in given recent analyst optimism. Should You Buy Costco Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing tariff refund lawsuits (post-Supreme Court rulings) while investing in digital tools and global expansion — potential upside from refunds but also short-term cash/legal uncertainty and capex. How Investors May Respond To Costco Wholesale (COST) Tariff Refund Lawsuits And Digital Expansion Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Operational hiccup: Costco notified Hawaii members of a Yakitori fried rice recall — a localized food-safety issue that could produce modest short-term negative PR and costs. Costco notifies Hawaii members of Yakitori fried rice recall

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.