Beirne Wealth Consulting Services LLC Invests $466,000 in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Beirne Wealth Consulting Services LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 503 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $466,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after purchasing an additional 90,107 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the second 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 stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after buying an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,018.48 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $452.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,077.49. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $925.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $933.10.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued 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 was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights a “dual engine” for growth — e-commerce comps up ~20.5% and new store openings driving outsized sales, supporting revenue and same-store-sales momentum. Costco’s Digital Demand and Warehouse Strength Create a Dual Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Rollout of mobile/online ordering for custom cakes and deli trays improves convenience and fulfillment options — could raise transaction frequency and average ticket in clubs. Costco cake online ordering is coming
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting that prominent billionaires hold large positions in Costco lends a governance/endorsement narrative that can support investor confidence. 3 Billionaires Have One Key Stock As Their Largest Holding. You’ll Be Surprised to Know What It Is.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest notes are inconsistent (data shows 0 shares and 0 days-to-cover), so there’s no clear evidence of rising short pressure to amplify moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories celebrating long-term share performance (e.g., “If you invested $1,000…” pieces) support sentiment but are descriptive rather than catalytic. If You Invested $1000 in Costco a Decade Ago, This is How Much It’d Be Worth Now
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit alleging rotisserie chicken contamination introduces legal, recall and reputational risk; investors should watch for case developments and any operational impact. Costco Lawsuit Over Rotisserie Chicken Contamination And Investor Considerations
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer pieces on products to avoid (Kirkland items) and reports that Costco is tightening return policies could weigh on customer experience/reputation if they gain traction. 7 Kirkland Signature Foods And Drinks Costco Shoppers Avoid Buying Costco quietly cracks down on returns

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,009.00.

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.