QRG Capital Management Inc. Decreases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

QRG Capital Management Inc. reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,936 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,612 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.8% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $66,586,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $963.61 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The business has a fifty day moving average of $894.70 and a 200-day moving average of $930.63. 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 cap of $427.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.61, a PEG ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 1.02.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 11,946 shares of company stock valued at $10,958,028 over the last ninety days. 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: Board raised shareholder returns with a confirmed quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share (payable Feb. 13), which supports income-focused demand and underpins buyer interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum stories are signaling a breakout after late-2025 weakness; analysts and commentators pointing to stronger December sales and improving charts are drawing short-term buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple long-term investor pieces highlight Costco’s resilient membership model, renewal economics and international expansion as durable tailwinds that keep buy-and-hold interest elevated. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer-facing features (e.g., food-court pricing, membership perks) and new incentives to upgrade members to Executive status may help average spend and renewals over time, supporting the revenue mix. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer and lifestyle write-ups (buy-and-hold lists, product highlights) keep brand visibility high but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-flow commentary notes unusually active put activity on Costco — framed as a strategy for acquiring shares without overpaying; this highlights price sensitivity but isn’t a direct directional signal. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP James Klauer and other executives disclosed mid-January share sales (Klauer sold 1,500 shares), which can create short-term selling pressure and raise investor caution even if sales are routine. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a constraint—COST trades at a premium versus peers (~50x earnings), so the stock is sensitive to any sign of slowing sales/margin improvement; some coverage highlights that premium as a risk to near-term gains. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on COST. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Roth Capital set a $769.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

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.