NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 43,897 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 664 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.0% of NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $40,157,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC lifted 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 valued at $645,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC now owns 860 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $851,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised shareholder returns with a confirmed quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share (payable Feb. 13), which supports income-focused demand and underpins buyer interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum stories are signaling a breakout after late-2025 weakness; analysts and commentators pointing to stronger December sales and improving charts are drawing short-term buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple long-term investor pieces highlight Costco’s resilient membership model, renewal economics and international expansion as durable tailwinds that keep buy-and-hold interest elevated. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer-facing features (e.g., food-court pricing, membership perks) and new incentives to upgrade members to Executive status may help average spend and renewals over time, supporting the revenue mix. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer and lifestyle write-ups (buy-and-hold lists, product highlights) keep brand visibility high but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-flow commentary notes unusually active put activity on Costco — framed as a strategy for acquiring shares without overpaying; this highlights price sensitivity but isn’t a direct directional signal. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP James Klauer and other executives disclosed mid-January share sales (Klauer sold 1,500 shares), which can create short-term selling pressure and raise investor caution even if sales are routine. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a constraint—COST trades at a premium versus peers (~50x earnings), so the stock is sensitive to any sign of slowing sales/margin improvement; some coverage highlights that premium as a risk to near-term gains. Read More.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 11,946 shares of company stock worth $10,958,028 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Roth Capital set a $769.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

COST opened at $963.61 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $894.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $929.88. 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 Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $427.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

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.