Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC Reduces Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 142,239 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,572 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 1.7% of Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $131,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 25.7% in the third quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 3,305 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,059,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 10.4% during the third quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 446 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $413,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.5% in the third quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 6,179 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,719,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC now owns 297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 101.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 430 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Memberships remain a strong, recurring revenue engine: renewal rates are still near historical highs despite more digital sign-ups, supporting predictability of cash flow and the membership model. Costco Renewal Rates Stay Near Historical Highs Despite Digital Shift
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations, which validates sales momentum and pricing strategy even as growth may moderate — a bullish fundamental anchor for long-term investors. Costco Beat Earnings Expectations in Q1. Here’s Why It Could Still Struggle in 2026.
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues: Costco has secured land and signed deals for new locations (example: a recent land purchase in Calgary), supporting long-term store growth and membership acquisition. Anthem and Rencor Sign Costco to Springbank’s Bingham Crossing Centre
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst/commentary pieces reiterate Costco as a long-term holding, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s durable business model despite recent pullbacks. 3 Soaring Stocks to Hold for the Next 20 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Macroeconomic / assortment effects: Tariffs are prompting merchandising adjustments to keep prices low for shoppers — this can compress margins or shift SKU mix, but management appears to be managing assortment proactively. How Tariffs Are Changing Up Costco’s Shelves
• Neutral Sentiment: International revenue trends deserve close attention — overseas growth dynamics and currency mix can meaningfully affect Wall Street’s forecasts and long‑term targets. Don’t Overlook Costco (COST) International Revenue Trends While Assessing the Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Guggenheim reiterated a Neutral rating amid softening metrics — an analyst stance that typically limits upside until metrics stabilize. Guggenheim reiterates Neutral rating on Costco stock amid softening metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual bearish options activity: a very large uptick in put purchases suggests some traders are positioning for further near-term downside or insurance against volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and structural cautions: analysis flags Costco’s AI‑grade multiple and other valuation metrics as warning signs for investors, which can pressure sentiment if growth slows. Why Costco’s (COST) AI-Grade Multiple is a Warning Signal for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade impact: a recent downgrade pushed the stock to a one‑year low, amplifying near‑term selling pressure and weighing on sentiment. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Hits New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ COST opened at $855.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $379.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.83, a PEG ratio of 5.13 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $909.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $944.44. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,720 shares of company stock worth $9,010,257 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Gordon Haskett decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 26th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $987.58.

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.