CoreCap Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

CoreCap Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 32.9% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,804 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,352 shares during the quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,143,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 8,164 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,040,000 after acquiring an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 6,493 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,599,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. LongView Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. LongView Wealth Management now owns 1,025 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $966,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. John W. Brooker & Co. CPAs acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $271,000. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,796,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, signaling stronger-than-expected profit outlook that supports higher valuation multiples for COST. Erste Group EPS Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out standalone gas stations — a potential traffic driver and membership-value play that could boost ancillary revenue and stickiness of memberships. Costco Is Launching Standalone Gas Stations
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened its 11th Canadian Business Centre (Winnipeg), expanding B2B footprint, creating local jobs and increasing wholesale penetration in a new province. Canada’s Eleventh Costco Business Centre
• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland energy drink rollout is drawing customer enthusiasm and could pressure branded competitors while reinforcing Costco’s private-label margin advantages. Kirkland Energy Drink Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsements and favorable press (Charlie Munger praise, coverage highlighting membership loyalty) help sentiment and investor confidence in Costco’s durable model. Charlie Munger on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Costco to Walmart and Amazon frames Costco as a defensive, membership-driven retailer but highlights intensifying omnichannel and ad-revenue competition from peers. Walmart or Costco: Who’s Winning?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor write-ups (Fool, MarketBeat) continue to list Costco as a top consumer-staples holding — supportive for long-term flows but not a catalyst for immediate re-rating. The 2 Best Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media flag concerns about membership-growth trends and rich valuation — a key risk that could cap upside if membership or comparable-sales momentum slows. Analyst Concerns on Membership Growth

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $983.86 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 $436.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.16, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $986.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $939.26.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective on the stock. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

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.