Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Violich Capital Management Inc.

Violich Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,092 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,141 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 5.4% of Violich Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Violich Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $45,441,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 43,897 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $40,157,000 after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the last quarter. Jericho Financial LLP lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jericho Financial LLP now owns 3,661 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,389,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 158,507 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $145,002,000 after purchasing an additional 1,646 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 300 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $277,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $139,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 11,946 shares of company stock valued at $10,958,028. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on COST shares. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Daiwa Capital Markets reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Key Headlines 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.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $963.61 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $427.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.61, a PEG ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $894.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $929.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.