Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC Sells 2,402 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC decreased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 62.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,454 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,402 shares during the period. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,346,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Peterson Wealth Services grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $13,479,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after buying an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports strong traffic gains and rising digital engagement, reinforcing Costco’s value/membership-driven model and supporting durable revenue growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast says Costco’s global expansion is gaining momentum — a tailwind for long-term store-level sales and membership growth outside the U.S. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 247WallSt publishes a bullish take arguing Costco could surge and even split its stock in 2026, which can attract momentum investors and spark speculative buying. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/deal coverage highlights a discounted membership offer (digital Shop Card for new Gold Star sign-ups) that could modestly boost new-member adds in the near term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives-focused pieces note increased trading strategies around COST (buying leveraged upside via spreads), signaling active trader interest but not a directional fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morning‑read pieces (The Motley Fool / Yahoo guides) reiterate Costco’s steady business model: memberships drive profitability and slow, consistent comp growth is the core thesis — helpful context for buy-and-hold investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is gaining ground in China, highlighting competitive risks to Costco’s international growth and margin profile in that market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that COST has “tumbled despite higher free cash flow and FCF margins” underscores investor frustration that operational strength hasn’t translated into price support — a sentiment drag. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Logistics/cargo-theft stories include a theft of lobster meat destined for Costco stores — a reminder of supply-chain and security risks that can create isolated product disruptions and minor cost/headline noise. Read More.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,339 shares of company stock worth $5,916,642. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $865.65 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $899.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $936.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23. The company has a market cap of $384.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Daiwa Capital Markets dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen research 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $992.08.

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.