Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,185,579 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 105,978 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.6% of Invesco Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Invesco Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,874,297,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Seven Mile Advisory boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 20.2% during the 3rd quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 1,487 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,377,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. LifePlan Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.3% during the third quarter. LifePlan Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 388 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. KLCM Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the third quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,344,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. RD Lewis Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.7% during the third quarter. RD Lewis Holdings Inc. now owns 3,075 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,811,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.5% in the third quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 1,526 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,413,000 after purchasing an additional 310 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,003.23 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company’s 50 day moving average is $972.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $936.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market cap of $445.30 billion, a PE ratio of 52.17, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend 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 currently 27.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho raised their price target 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. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

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.