Moody National Bank Trust Division Lowers Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Moody National Bank Trust Division decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,236 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,781 shares during the quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,653,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s new Kirkland energy drink is being positioned as a value private‑label offering that should drive incremental sales and hurt branded competitors — this is seen by markets as a low‑cost growth lever for Costco. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights strong member response to the Kirkland energy drink and frames the launch as another example of Costco using its private label to expand assortments and margins — a near‑term positive for top‑line and gross‑margin outlooks. Costco’s new energy drink delights fans, rattles competition
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note that Costco’s product expansion is putting pressure on smaller branded peers (e.g., Celsius), which markets interpreted as confirmation that Costco can capture share in higher‑growth categories. Celsius Stock Jolted After Costco Offers Energy-Drink Brand for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly positive: consensus price target implies material upside, but reports flag rising concerns about membership growth and valuation — a mixed signal for future returns. Analysts Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Despite Increasing Concerns Regarding Membership Growth Trends and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses on Costco’s gas‑pricing strategy emphasize it as a membership retention/acquisition tool that stabilizes traffic and revenue — supportive for recurring revenue and same‑store trends. Here’s Why Costco’s Gas Pricing Strategy Is Good News for Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Separate pieces call out valuation worries and include Costco on lists of overvalued names — a reminder that the stock’s premium multiple leaves it vulnerable to sentiment shifts if membership or comp trends slow. 5 Most Overvalued Companies According to the Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/legal flow: Bloomberg Law flags Costco as a target in consumer tariff‑refund actions — keep an eye on potential filings, though no immediate financial impact has been reported. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $974.86 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $985.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $938.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $432.50 billion, a PE ratio of 50.69, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price 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. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on 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. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

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.