Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Decreases Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 321,597 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,344 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.5% of Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $297,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.5% in the third quarter. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC now owns 508 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $471,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.2% in the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 7,842 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,247,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. Huntleigh Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Huntleigh Advisors Inc. now owns 4,162 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,852,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 29,428 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $27,239,000 after purchasing an additional 3,775 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,604 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,404 shares of company stock valued at $11,395,418. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Warehouse expansion and faster new‑store ramp-ups point to a durable growth runway and higher membership-driven sales over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Retail momentum: December sales came in stronger than expected, helping extend the recent rally and reinforcing resilient traffic and membership trends that support recurring revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Card incentives improved — reported boosts to gas rewards for co‑branded cardholders (notably at Costco pumps) could help member retention and in‑warehouse spend. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary reiterates Costco’s long‑term durability (member loyalty, steady comps) but flags a high valuation and moderate growth that may limit near‑term upside from current levels — useful for entry/position sizing decisions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/merchandising note: Costco is switching its food‑court beverage supplier back to Coca‑Cola after a decade with Pepsi — largely a partnership/brand shift with limited immediate financial impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares at about $955 (a small reduction, ~5.1% of her holding). While not large, insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors as timing/valuation signaling. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: coverage notes a major grocery rival expanding aggressively — increased local competition could pressure market share or margins in affected regions over time. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of COST opened at $964.26 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market cap of $428.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $896.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $929.57. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company 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. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted 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. Argus raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.