Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,689 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 975 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,522,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,332,009 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,097,127,000 after purchasing an additional 18,045 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total value of $1,157,994.18. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 6,339 shares of company stock valued at $5,916,642 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $950.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price on the stock. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $992.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $867.84 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $901.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $937.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. 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 fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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