Dearborn Partners LLC Sells 804 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Dearborn Partners LLC decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,898 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 804 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.6% of Dearborn Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Dearborn Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $33,229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Soundwatch Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $985.27 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $437.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $934.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $934.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed‑on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell‑side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short‑term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety litigation: a class‑action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near‑term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

About Costco Wholesale

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.