1,445 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Purchased by M&G PLC

M&G PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,445 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,338,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Mizuho raised 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. Evercore upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Gordon Haskett increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price for the company. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,012.05 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $928.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $933.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $449.22 billion, a PE ratio of 54.21, a P/E/G 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 $1,071.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and warehouse growth remain strong (e‑commerce comps +20.5%, new stores boosting sales), supporting longer‑term revenue momentum. Costco’s Digital Demand and Warehouse Strength Create a Dual Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Member enthusiasm for new food‑court offering (McDonald’s‑style item) is positive for in‑club traffic and ancillary sales. Costco launches McDonald’s copycat food court item that members call ‘top notch’
• Positive Sentiment: New mobile ordering for cakes/deli could improve customer convenience and drive higher average tickets for the deli category. Costco cake online ordering is coming
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $1,000 but kept a “neutral” rating — the PT is close to current levels, giving limited directional push. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale to $1,000
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and valuation commentary continue to evolve; a recent roundup of analyst moves highlights mixed views that could keep share volatility elevated. How Recent Analyst Moves Are Shaping The Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reporting in mid‑February shows effectively zero reported short position (data contains anomalies), so short squeeze dynamics are unlikely to be a driver. (internal short‑interest entries)
• Negative Sentiment: Gift cards sold at Costco are at risk after the issuer declared bankruptcy, creating potential consumer refunds/liability and reputational concern. Gift cards sold at Costco at risk after issuer declares sudden bankruptcy
• Negative Sentiment: Related recall: Costco issued a recall on certain restaurant gift cards, which amplifies near‑term consumer and operational risk. Costco issues recall on restaurant gift cards
• Negative Sentiment: Legal exposure: Costco faces a U.S. class action alleging salmonella risk (and separate rotisserie‑chicken complaint coverage), which could mean litigation costs, recalls or reputational damage if claims progress. Costco hit by US class action over salmonella risk claims

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.