Clarity Financial LLC Has $31.73 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Clarity Financial LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,280 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 699 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 3.1% of Clarity Financial LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Clarity Financial LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $31,731,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,124,263,000 after acquiring an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the first quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,332,009 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,097,127,000 after acquiring an additional 18,045 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $855.62 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $379.78 billion, a PE ratio of 45.83, a PEG ratio of 5.13 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,078.23. The business’s 50 day moving average is $909.89 and its 200-day moving average is $944.44.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total value of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,720 shares of company stock valued at $9,010,257 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Gordon Haskett dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus 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.