Tower Bridge Advisors Grows Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Tower Bridge Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,654 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 947 shares during the quarter. Tower Bridge Advisors’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,862,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is focused on Costco’s Q2 report after the close March 5 — several previews suggest analysts expect another solid quarter, which could lift the stock if management confirms strength in holiday sales and memberships. Should You Buy Costco Stock (COST) ahead of Q2 Earnings? Technical Indicators Suggest Yes
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note a possible lift from a recent Supreme Court tariff ruling; previews say monthly sales data point to a fourth straight “double beat,” a bullish catalyst if reiterated on the call. Costco Q2 Preview: Will Retailer Celebrate Tariff Ruling? Monthly Data Points To Fourth Straight Double Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum-focused commentary is bullish ahead of earnings; some analysts point to favorable technicals as a reason to own into the print. Dear Costco Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for March 5
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces highlight Costco’s YTD outperformance vs. peers and argue the stock still has growth attributes investors want — supportive narrative if earnings show revenue/membership traction. Is Costco Wholesale (COST) Outperforming Other Retail-Wholesale Stocks This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-wide resilience and macro headlines are keeping broader risk-on conditions intact; this makes Costco’s results more likely to move sentiment but not necessarily market direction. Review & Preview: Stocks Show Resilience
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-facing writeups (best yogurts, top in-store finds) keep brand engagement visible but are unlikely to move the stock materially. The 11 Best Yogurts To Grab At Costco, According To Reviews
• Neutral Sentiment: Store-level customer ratings and “best things” lists help retail perception but have limited near-term financial impact. These Are The 2 Highest-Rated Costco Stores In America, According To Shoppers
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reporting shows anomalous zero/NaN figures in recent data releases — appears to be a reporting glitch rather than a genuine short-squeeze signal. Short Interest Data (source)
• Negative Sentiment: Customer confusion over a return-policy change has drawn negative attention; if widespread, policy friction could dent loyalty or generate PR risk. Costco members confused over return policy rule
• Negative Sentiment: A Reuters piece notes some small businesses find tariff refunds burdensome — underlines that tariff rulings have uneven effects and could leave some margin/operational uncertainty. For some small businesses, a tariff refund isn’t worth the pain of pursuing it

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’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 value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,006.74 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $446.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.92, a PEG ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 1.01. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $956.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $935.59. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,016.18.

Costco Wholesale 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.