Capital Wealth Planning LLC Increases Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Capital Wealth Planning LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 310.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,490 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,152 shares during the period. Capital Wealth Planning LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,082,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. EHP Funds Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 188.2% during the third quarter. EHP Funds Inc. now owns 1,441 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,334,000 after purchasing an additional 941 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. FreeGulliver LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $450,000. Pathstone Holdings LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 18.6% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 158,234 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $146,466,000 after buying an additional 24,810 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $282,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,008.43 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 quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company’s fifty day moving average is $975.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $937.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $447.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.44, a P/E/G ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, sell-side 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 was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s 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 directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron’s: Tariff refunds are getting messy

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale 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.