Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by GF Fund Management CO. LTD.

GF Fund Management CO. LTD. reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 95,756 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,612 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.6% of GF Fund Management CO. LTD.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. GF Fund Management CO. LTD.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $88,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrades: Bernstein raised its target (to ~$1,155) and Evercore ISI lifted its target to $1,050, keeping upbeat ratings that support upside expectations. Bernstein Boosts COST Target
• Positive Sentiment: Europe expansion: Costco is piloting e‑commerce delivery in Europe, a meaningful new addressable market that could drive long‑term top‑line growth if scaled. Costco Tests European E Commerce Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Membership & promotions: Ongoing member promotions (e.g., digital shop-card offers) and strong member perks sustain renewal rates and engagement. Get a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and growth narratives: Multiple Zacks pieces highlight Costco as a momentum/top‑growth stock, supporting investor sentiment around durable comp and digital trends. Here’s Why Costco is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears erroneous (reports show 0 shares / NaN changes and a 0.0 days-to-cover ratio); not meaningful as reported and unlikely to explain price moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate culture/dei: Fortune reports Costco maintained DEI programs while some peers cut back—this may support talent/brand but is not an immediate earnings driver. Costco defied Trump’s DEI directive
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer coverage pieces (both positive “in awe” stories and critiques of recent changes) reflect mixed consumer sentiment—useful for brand monitoring but limited near-term impact. 10 Costco Changes That Made Customers Angry
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall: A recall of mini beignets for undeclared hazelnuts affects operations and could create modest near‑term costs or reputational noise. Costco recalls mini beignets
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff/legal risk: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear challenges to former‑administration tariffs (Feb. 20); an adverse ruling or delayed refunds could hurt retailer margins or cash recoveries. President Trump’s Tariffs To Face Feb.20 Supreme Court Hearing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on COST shares. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,018.48 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $922.96 and its 200 day moving average is $932.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,077.49. The stock has a market cap of $452.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a P/E/G ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.