Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Empirical Asset Management LLC

Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4,700.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 39,649 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 38,823 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 5.6% of Empirical Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its biggest holding. Empirical Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,700,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $998.12 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market cap of $443.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.46, a PEG ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $939.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $934.41. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 last year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broad-based comparable-sales strength: Costco reported rising traffic, ticket growth and digital gains across the U.S., Canada and international markets, supporting continued revenue momentum. Why Costco’s Comparable Sales Strength Looks Broad-Based Globally
• Positive Sentiment: Product rollouts driving traffic and category expansion: Costco is widening distribution of Levels Whey Protein and introduced a popular new double‑chocolate mint sundae — both items can boost in‑store visits and membership retention. Costco Expands Levels Whey Protein Costco’s new sundae becomes sweet sensation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is constructive overall: independent note shows consensus around a “Moderate Buy” rating and several analyst pieces highlight Costco’s stable profit profile, which can support demand for shares. Given Average Rating of ‘Moderate Buy’
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is elevated: Zacks and other outlets note heavy search/interest in COST, which can increase short‑term volume and volatility but is not directional by itself. Investors Heavily Search Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/tariff context: analysis notes Costco may benefit from tariff rollbacks (lower input costs), but that thesis is partially offset by current premium valuation levels. A Tariff-Rollback Winner
• Negative Sentiment: New legal risk: Costco is facing another lawsuit related to its rotisserie chicken, creating potential legal expenses, reputational risk and headline volatility. Costco faces yet another lawsuit over its rotisserie chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and relative underperformance: several analysts and commentators argue Costco’s multiple is rich (labels like “unreasonable valuation”) and note the stock has underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year — pressures that can limit further upside and invite profit‑taking. Fantastic Company, Unreasonable Valuation Is Costco Underperforming the S&P 500?

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,008.07.

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.