Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Position Lifted by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 403,482 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,775 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.6% of Cerity Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $373,476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 86.1% in the first quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 817 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $772,000 after buying an additional 378 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the first quarter valued at about $9,581,000. Finally, Sciencast Management LP acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the first quarter worth about $1,617,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock valued at $8,175,048 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $889.10 on Wednesday. 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 company has a market cap of $394.64 billion, a PE ratio of 47.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $893.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $932.98.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $994.08.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded COST to “outperform” and raised its price target to $1,000, giving investors a near-term upside anchor and likely supporting buying interest. COST upgraded at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: Costco expects a new Port St. Lucie distribution center to open in March 2026 — a logistics expansion that can lower fulfillment costs and improve inventory flow in Florida. Port St. Lucie distribution center
• Positive Sentiment: Costco NZ reported its first profit since 2022 (NZ$9.6m) as revenue climbed, signaling international unit economics are improving. Costco NZ posts profit
• Positive Sentiment: Member partnerships (e.g., discounted Cadillac/Volvo EV offers) and perks may boost membership value and retention — a sticky revenue driver for the warehouse model. EV discounts for members
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and coverage pieces highlight Costco’s growing digital ecosystem (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) as a compounding growth engine and referenced possible special/dividend actions, adding to bullish sentiment. Digital ecosystem article
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary bundles Costco among mega-cap “durable compounders” for 2026 — supportive longer‑term narrative but not a short‑term catalyst by itself. Why These 3 Mega-Caps Could Still Surprise
• Neutral Sentiment: high-profile investor commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer, Motley Fool lists) repeats a long-term buy thesis for COST; useful for sentiment but not an immediate fundamental change. Cramer’s Stop Trading: Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst pieces and models remain cautious: Zacks and others have published guarded near‑term earnings outlooks, calling out potential Q2 softness — a restraint on valuation. Zacks pessimistic outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Price‑target/forecast pieces note COST has pulled back from its 52‑week high and faces valuation questions; that technical/valuation pressure can limit near‑term upside. Price prediction and recent pullback

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.