Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 66.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,460 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,937 shares during the period. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,351,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Symphony Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 58.6% in the 3rd quarter. Symphony Financial Services Inc. now owns 855 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $791,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 55.5% during the third quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,230 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,618,000 after purchasing an additional 2,937 shares during the last quarter. Nautilus Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.6% in the third quarter. Nautilus Advisors LLC now owns 2,797 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,589,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.7% during the third quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. now owns 9,759 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,034,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSA Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $211,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,016.18.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and retail commentators point to ongoing outperformance driven by membership strength and customers trading down in a pressured economy — executive membership upgrades are boosting revenues and margins. Where Will Costco Stock Be in 1 Year?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s tech push — AI inventory tools, digital wallet and faster checkout — is showing productivity gains that can protect low prices and margins, reinforcing the growth narrative. Is Costco’s Technology Spending Finally Fueling Better Productivity?
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and large real‑estate wins (new openings and anchoring the Viva White Oak development) support longer‑term same‑store traffic and membership growth. Costco To Anchor Massive Montgomery County Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings (March 5) are the immediate catalyst — investors are weighing Costco’s streak of beats against rich expectations; this creates short‑term volatility depending on the print and guidance. Costco (COST) Reports Q1: Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing favorable analyst coverage and momentum/ growth score stories keep investor interest high, but they also reinforce expectations that are already priced in. 3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Costco (COST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent short‑interest data in public feeds appears inconsistent (zeros/NaN), suggesting no meaningful short squeeze signal — treat those data points cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns are prominent — some analyses argue COST is expensive near the $1,000 level (high P/E vs. retail peers), prompting sell/trim arguments that can cap upside. Sell Costco Stock At $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Customer friction from confusing return‑policy reports could modestly dent sentiment if amplified, though it’s unlikely to materially affect fundamentals. Costco members confused over return policy rule

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,007.77 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $954.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $935.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $447.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given 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 was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 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.