Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Martingale Asset Management L P

Martingale Asset Management L P trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 39,205 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,051 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.9% of Martingale Asset Management L P’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Martingale Asset Management L P’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $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 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after purchasing an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $5,692,035,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,911,331,000 after purchasing an additional 34,826 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,003.23 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $445.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.17, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $972.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $936.70.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. HSBC cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results and commentary showed continued momentum — revenue and EPS beat estimates, management cited membership/traffic gains and price management that supported sales. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is lifting sentiment — BMO and other shops have raised targets or reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings after the quarter, helping offset headline risk. BMO Sees Costco as Stable Bet
• Positive Sentiment: Operational tailwinds: new warehouse openings, expanded in‑warehouse experiences and viral product drops (e.g., Off‑White hoodies) are driving foot traffic and membership engagement. Off‑White Hoodies Spark Frenzy Liberty Hill Costco Opening
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa and other firms tweaked targets (some higher) while keeping conservative ratings in some cases — a modest vote of confidence but not uniformly bullish. Daiwa Adjusts Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: an EVP disclosed the sale of ~730 shares — small relative to Costco’s market cap and unlikely to drive the move on its own. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: a proposed nationwide class action alleges Costco must pass along tariff refunds to customers after the Supreme Court voided certain Trump‑era tariffs — plaintiffs seek broad relief and this creates uncertainty over potential liabilities, refunds, and reputational risk. Reuters: Costco customers sue MSN: Costco Sued Over Tariffs
• Negative Sentiment: Negative framing in some outlets suggests the suits could pressure Costco’s low‑margin model if rulings force refunds or changes to pricing practices; outcome and exposure remain uncertain and litigation could be a headline risk. 24/7 Wall St: Profit Model Threatened
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risks (Gulf tensions, oil spike) could weigh on consumer sentiment and fuel costs — a potential headwind for retailers if sustained. Heard on the Street: Gulf Worries

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.