J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Grows Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 48,817 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 869 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $42,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Westend Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 66.5% in the 4th quarter. Westend Capital Management LLC now owns 566 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $488,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 171,766 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,121,000 after acquiring an additional 3,266 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Quarterback LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Quarterback LLC now owns 2,096 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,808,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. MOR Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $975,000. Finally, Quantum Financial Planning Services Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Quantum Financial Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,003 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,727,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company 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: Faster checkout tests could boost throughput and member satisfaction — Costco is rolling out automated pay stations and a new checkout technology that cuts payment times to ~8–10 seconds, which can raise store capacity and lower labor friction. Costco’s new checkout technology cuts payment time down to 8 seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Private‑label Kirkland energy drinks launch — Costco introduced Kirkland sparkling energy drinks at lower price points, a move that can lift category sales, margin mix and pressuring branded rivals (which has already moved peer stocks). Costco Kirkland Energy Drinks Spark Competition And Raise Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive warehouse expansion planned — Management plans ~28 new warehouses in FY26 and intends to add ~30+ annually, supporting membership growth, same-store traffic and long-term revenue capacity. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Canada business‑centre expansion supports B2B growth — Rolling out Business Centres across Canada broadens wholesale/B2B exposure, which can improve order size and commercial membership traction. Costco Expands Business Centres Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive chart/analyst attention — IBD named Costco a Stock of the Day and some articles highlight long-term investor appeal; this technical/coverage spotlight can attract momentum flows but doesn’t change fundamentals overnight. Costco, IBD’s Stock Of The Day, Rallies This Year As Markets Fall
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer tip articles on saving at the pump — Coverage on how members save on gas at Costco is informational and supports the value proposition, but is unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Saving on gas at Costco and Sam’s Club in Phoenix is easy. Here’s how
• Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit alleging price increases then tariff refunds — A suit claims Costco raised prices and sought tariff refunds from the government; litigation risk could bring reputational, regulatory and potential financial costs if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds from government
• Negative Sentiment: Rising gas prices and broader consumer pressure — Higher pump prices and worries about consumer spending are cited as recession risks; while Costco benefits from gas sales, sustained higher gas could dent discretionary spending and membership renewal behavior over time. Higher gas prices could spell recession risks to some US consumers
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from large peers — Analysts note Walmart’s e‑commerce and omnichannel scale could pressure Costco’s growth/market share in some categories, an important competitive consideration for margin and long‑term share gains. The Zacks Analyst Blog Walmart and Costco

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week 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 has a market cap of $442.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.82, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $987.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $939.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business 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 payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

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.