Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Lowered by Monetta Financial Services Inc.

Monetta Financial Services Inc. lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 64.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,600 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,900 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.0% of Monetta Financial Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Monetta Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,481,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broad-based comparable-sales strength across the U.S., Canada and international markets — traffic, higher tickets and digital sales are driving momentum. Why Costco’s Comparable Sales Strength Looks Broad-Based Globally
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts collectively rate COST as an average “Moderate Buy,” which supports near-term demand for shares from institutional buyers. Costco Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Articles highlight Costco’s stable profits and resilient supermarket-style business model, reinforcing its defensive, cash-generating profile. Costco: Supermarket Giant With Stable Profits
• Positive Sentiment: Tariff-rollbacks may be a tailwind for margins/pricing on imported goods — a cited near-term benefit for Costco’s cost structure. Costco: A Tariff-Rollback Winner, But No Longer On Sale
• Positive Sentiment: Retail buzz (viral food-court dessert) can boost foot traffic and member engagement, a small but relevant driver for same-store sales. Costco’s New $3 Food Court Dessert Is Going Viral
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher investor search/interest in COST signals attention but not direction — watch flows and news catalysts. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Mentions by high-profile commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) keep the name in public view; helpful for retail interest but not a fundamental catalyst. Jim Cramer Looks Back On Costco’s Share Price Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with Sam’s Club/Walmart highlight competitive context; price positioning remains a watch item but not a new risk. We compared Costco and Sam’s Club prices on store brand products
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concern: several pieces warn COST’s strong run has driven a high P/E (~52–53), raising the risk that future returns depend on continued execution and comp strength. Costco Stock Is Soaring, but Is It Getting Ahead of Itself?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators argue Costco’s premium valuation and ubiquity limit upside for new investors — a caution for long-term entrants at current levels. 1 Reason I Haven’t Bought Costco Stock — and Probably Never Will
• Negative Sentiment: Member-facing policy changes or rules that frustrate long-term members could be a minor retention risk if they scale. Costco rule may frustrate some members

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on COST. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $986.02 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $437.66 billion, a PE ratio of 52.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $937.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $934.29.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results 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 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 prior year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

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.