Navellier & Associates Inc. Raises Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Navellier & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 20,363 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 819 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 1.9% of Navellier & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Navellier & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,849,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Integrity Financial Corp WA grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the third quarter. Integrity Financial Corp WA now owns 968 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Edgemoor Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Edgemoor Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 812 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $752,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Arista Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Arista Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,163 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,630,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Centerpoint Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 1,177 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,089,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlTi Global Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 55.3% during the third quarter. AlTi Global Inc. now owns 3,661 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,391,000 after buying an additional 1,304 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $997.59 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $442.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $916.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $930.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-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 for the quarter, topping 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 net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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 given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded COST to “overweight” and raised its price target to $1,050, signaling analyst confidence and providing upside to the stock. JPMorgan raises COST price target to $1,050
• Positive Sentiment: January sales and Costco’s value proposition (pricing, private label, e-commerce + warehouse footprint) are being flagged as drivers for continued traffic and revenue growth — a bullish operational read-through for 2026. Is Costco’s January Sales Surge Fueling a Bigger 2026 Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its Instacart partnership in Europe, which can boost e-commerce volume and improve cross-border growth optionality. Costco Expands Instacart In Europe As Valuation Stays Above Fair Value
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion plans, including a proposed 20-store strategy in Australia, support long-term member and sales growth in a relatively underpenetrated market. Can anyone compete with Costco’s 20-store plan?
• Positive Sentiment: An institutional buyer, RFG Advisory LLC, modestly increased its Costco stake, a small signal of continued investor interest. Costco Shares Purchased by RFG Advisory LLC
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a “Neutral” rating on COST, which may temper near-term momentum from upgrades. DA Davidson reiterates Neutral on COST
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media pieces are debating whether the 15% year-to-date rise makes Costco a buy — helpful for retail interest but largely reiterative analysis rather than new company-specific catalysts. Costco Stock Is Up 15% This Year. Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary highlights valuation as a risk — Costco’s premium P/E and elevated multiple relative to growth could limit upside unless top-line acceleration and margin expansion persist. Valuation watch: Is COST expensive?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,007.42.

Costco Wholesale 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.