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

Private Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 24,046 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,399 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.6% of Private Advisory Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Private Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $20,735,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Barlow Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Barlow Wealth Partners LLC now owns 34,827 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,211,000 after buying an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Centurion Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,095 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,807,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,324 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,009,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,181 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,019,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,447 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,284,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the business’s 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 owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,596 shares of company stock worth $5,272,388. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $983.86 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $986.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $938.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $436.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.16, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, signaling stronger-than-expected profit outlook that supports higher valuation multiples for COST. Erste Group EPS Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out standalone gas stations — a potential traffic driver and membership-value play that could boost ancillary revenue and stickiness of memberships. Costco Is Launching Standalone Gas Stations
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened its 11th Canadian Business Centre (Winnipeg), expanding B2B footprint, creating local jobs and increasing wholesale penetration in a new province. Canada’s Eleventh Costco Business Centre
• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland energy drink rollout is drawing customer enthusiasm and could pressure branded competitors while reinforcing Costco’s private-label margin advantages. Kirkland Energy Drink Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsements and favorable press (Charlie Munger praise, coverage highlighting membership loyalty) help sentiment and investor confidence in Costco’s durable model. Charlie Munger on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Costco to Walmart and Amazon frames Costco as a defensive, membership-driven retailer but highlights intensifying omnichannel and ad-revenue competition from peers. Walmart or Costco: Who’s Winning?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor write-ups (Fool, MarketBeat) continue to list Costco as a top consumer-staples holding — supportive for long-term flows but not a catalyst for immediate re-rating. The 2 Best Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media flag concerns about membership-growth trends and rich valuation — a key risk that could cap upside if membership or comparable-sales momentum slows. Analyst Concerns on Membership Growth

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

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.