Wealth Advisors of Tampa Bay LLC Buys Shares of 1,590 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Wealth Advisors of Tampa Bay LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,590 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,472,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $975.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $937.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one 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 firm has a market capitalization of $447.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

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.