Donaldson Capital Management LLC Has $80.48 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Donaldson Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 86,942 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 575 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 2.5% of Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $80,476,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Lee Financial Co raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 6.6% in the third quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 1,314 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,216,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.0% during the third quarter. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC now owns 6,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,159,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Centric Wealth Management raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Centric Wealth Management now owns 4,729 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,310,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 334,610 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $309,725,000 after acquiring an additional 4,699 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 114.3% during the 3rd quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 2,323 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,150,000 after purchasing an additional 1,239 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding same‑day delivery across Europe (Paris to Madrid), which supports international growth and services-led revenue expansion. Costco Stock (COST) has no Joie de Vivre Despite Expanding Services to Paris and Madrid
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally favorable (average “Moderate Buy” / bullish writeups), offering support amid near‑term volatility. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco continues product and membership promotions (Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk release, Gold Star membership digital shop card) that boost customer engagement but are unlikely to move near‑term results materially. Costco and Nike released the Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk shoes. Are they worth it? This Costco Gold Star Membership gets you a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card*
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains rich (high P/E relative to peers), which can amplify reactions to news and weighs on upside in a risk‑off session. (Background market data)
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed class‑action accuses Costco of misleading customers by marketing its rotisserie chicken as having “no preservatives.” Legal risk and reputation headlines are the clearest short‑term negative catalyst. Costco Is Sued Over Preservatives in Its $5 Rotisserie Chickens Costco sued over ‘no preservatives’ claims
• Negative Sentiment: Some fund activity shows minor trimming of positions (e.g., Alpha Cubed Investments sold shares), which can add to downward pressure in a smaller‑volume selloff. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Roth Mkm set a $769.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of COST stock opened at $940.25 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $417.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.36, a PEG ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $906.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $929.32.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

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.