Spire Wealth Management Grows Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Spire Wealth Management raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,923 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,602 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.9% of Spire Wealth Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Spire Wealth Management’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $25,846,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after buying an additional 90,107 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,124,263,000 after buying an additional 150,844 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after buying an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $994.08.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales: Costco reported December net sales of $29.86B, up 8.5% year-over-year, with total-company comparable sales +7.0% and digitally‑enabled sales up ~19%, signaling broad-based demand and e‑commerce strength. Costco Reports December Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho upgraded COST to “outperform” and raised its price target to $1,000, giving investors a sizable upside target and renewed buy-side interest. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Upgraded at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction / momentum: Coverage notes that COST shares rallied in extended trading after the sales release and monthly comps, reinforcing near-term bullish momentum among traders. Costco Stock Pops After Sales Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst conviction: Several firms continue to rate COST favorably (median price targets near ~$1,030), which supports the long‑term bull case but also shows dispersion in near‑term valuations. QuiverQuant Sales Summary & Analyst Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate commentary & prepared remarks: Costco posted prepared remarks/transcript for its period‑ending trading statement (useful for details and management tone, but not new guidance). Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational updates & consumer interest: Pieces on Costco Travel and how members use services (travel bookings, food court) raise engagement but are unlikely to move near‑term earnings materially. How to Book Travel Through Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Local litigation risk: A lawsuit seeks to block a planned Route 17 Costco in Paramus, NJ, illustrating how municipal or legal obstacles can delay store openings and related revenue/capex. Paramus Lawsuit Seeks to Block Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted: Recent data shows several executive sales disclosed, which can create caution among some investors even if sales are routine estate/liquidity transactions. QuiverQuant Insider Activity (within sales report)

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of COST stock opened at $882.58 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $892.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $932.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $391.75 billion, a PE ratio of 47.27, a P/E/G ratio of 5.33 and a beta of 1.02. 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 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued 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 net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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