Continuum Advisory LLC Purchases 975 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Continuum Advisory LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 16.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,073 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 975 shares during the period. Continuum Advisory LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,547,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Birchbrook Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the first quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 456 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Busey Bank grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,339 shares of company stock valued at $5,916,642. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Argus upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

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

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

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.