Boston Trust Walden Corp Sells 4,326 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Boston Trust Walden Corp cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 125,264 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,326 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.9% of Boston Trust Walden Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Boston Trust Walden Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $115,948,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bulwark Capital Corp bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 900.0% during the first quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

NASDAQ COST opened at $867.84 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $385.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.48, a P/E/G ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $901.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $937.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. Research 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,339 shares of company stock valued at $5,916,642. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stores Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast upgraded COST to Buy and set a $1,100 price target, citing continued room for global expansion and a strong competitive position — a direct analyst vote of confidence that can support the stock. Costco’s (COST) Global Growth Story Gains Momentum, Says Northcoast
• Positive Sentiment: Several coverage pieces note Costco’s improving free cash flow and FCF margins reported in December; stronger cash generation makes buybacks/dividends/expansion more sustainable and supports valuations. Costco Has Tumbled Despite Higher FCF and FCF Margins – Time to Buy COST Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental write-ups reiterate Costco’s durable membership model, limited-SKU cost advantage, and steady sales growth — reminders of long-term earnings stability that attract income/value investors. Costco’s 2025: 3 Things Investors Should Know Heading Into the New Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Options strategy pieces outline ways to gain leveraged exposure to COST (selling short-dated OTM puts/calls to fund longer ITM calls) — signals retail/options interest but not a direct fundamental catalyst. A Less-Costly Way to Buy Costco to Gain Leveraged Upside in COST Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational oddity: a $400k lobster shipment en route to Costco was stolen — a PR/operational hit but immaterial to Costco’s large retail operations. $400,000 worth of lobster stolen en route to Costco Wholesale stores in US
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its Costco target, citing a mixed retail backdrop — analyst downgrades or target cuts can pressure shares by reducing near-term demand from institutional buyers. Wells Fargo Trims Costco (COST) Target Amid Mixed Retail Backdrop
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said he’s “concerned” and may sell remaining shares — negative media commentary from high-profile hosts can weigh on investor sentiment and trigger short-term selling. Jim Cramer on Costco: “I Am Concerned I Might Sell the Rest”
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is outpacing Costco in China (rapid store/e‑commerce expansion) — growing competition in a key international market poses a strategic risk to Costco’s overseas growth thesis. Sam’s Club Is Beating Costco at Its Own Game—in China

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $992.08.

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.