Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 68.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 422 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 904 shares during the quarter. Granite Bay Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $390,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Financial Council LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.7% during the third quarter. Financial Council LLC now owns 362 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $335,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,188,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC now owns 916 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $848,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Gemmer Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the third quarter. Gemmer Asset Management LLC now owns 953 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $882,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Iams Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 69.8% during the third quarter. Iams Wealth Management LLC now owns 608 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $563,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 3,381 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.00, for a total value of $3,093,615.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 9,740 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,912,100. The trade was a 25.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 9,720 shares of company stock valued at $9,010,257. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Gordon Haskett decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 1st. Roth Capital set a $769.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, 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 report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast Research upgraded COST from Neutral to Buy and set a $1,100 price target (roughly +26% upside vs. current levels), a direct catalyst for upside by raising institutional conviction. Northcoast upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Long-form bullish takes argue Costco can be a “multimillionaire-maker” thanks to steady membership renewals, expanding store footprint and resilient consumer demand — messaging that supports a buy-and-hold thesis. Is Costco Stock a Multimillionaire Maker?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces and listicles are pitching Costco as a compelling 2026 investment (membership economics, margin resilience, steady comps), reinforcing demand from long-term retail investors. 4 Reasons You Should Invest in Costco Stock in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s Quality ranking moved higher after a Q1 beat and its public stance on tariff/legal issues — positive signals for fundamentals and investor confidence. Costco Tops Quality Rankings Amid Q1 Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday-store-hour coverage (Christmas Eve/Day) is driving local traffic/volume questions but is not a material company fundamental change; useful for short-term foot-traffic monitoring. Is Costco open or closed on Christmas Day 2025?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparisons (Walmart vs. Costco) and general retail commentary are circulating; they provide context but not immediate directional pressure on COST. Walmart vs. Costco
• Negative Sentiment: BJ’s Wholesale Club is pursuing a major expansion in Texas, signaling intensifying competition in key markets that could pressure margins or market share in the long run. BJ’s challenges Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysis notes COST has been a “surprising loser” this year despite solid fundamentals, a narrative that can weigh on sentiment and explain profit-taking into the year-end. Where Will Costco Stock Be in 3 Years?

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $872.75 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $387.39 billion, a PE ratio of 46.75, a PEG ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $903.64 and its 200 day moving average is $940.47. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 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 in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.