Boston Trust Walden Corp Sells 4,326 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Boston Trust Walden Corp lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 125,264 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,326 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.9% of Boston Trust Walden Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Boston Trust Walden Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $115,948,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Bulwark Capital Corp bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 900.0% in the 1st quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast upgraded COST to Buy and set a $1,100 price target, citing continued room for global expansion and a strong competitive position — a direct analyst vote of confidence that can support the stock. Costco’s (COST) Global Growth Story Gains Momentum, Says Northcoast
• Positive Sentiment: Several coverage pieces note Costco’s improving free cash flow and FCF margins reported in December; stronger cash generation makes buybacks/dividends/expansion more sustainable and supports valuations. Costco Has Tumbled Despite Higher FCF and FCF Margins – Time to Buy COST Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental write-ups reiterate Costco’s durable membership model, limited-SKU cost advantage, and steady sales growth — reminders of long-term earnings stability that attract income/value investors. Costco’s 2025: 3 Things Investors Should Know Heading Into the New Year
• Neutral Sentiment: Options strategy pieces outline ways to gain leveraged exposure to COST (selling short-dated OTM puts/calls to fund longer ITM calls) — signals retail/options interest but not a direct fundamental catalyst. A Less-Costly Way to Buy Costco to Gain Leveraged Upside in COST Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational oddity: a $400k lobster shipment en route to Costco was stolen — a PR/operational hit but immaterial to Costco’s large retail operations. $400,000 worth of lobster stolen en route to Costco Wholesale stores in US
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its Costco target, citing a mixed retail backdrop — analyst downgrades or target cuts can pressure shares by reducing near-term demand from institutional buyers. Wells Fargo Trims Costco (COST) Target Amid Mixed Retail Backdrop
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said he’s “concerned” and may sell remaining shares — negative media commentary from high-profile hosts can weigh on investor sentiment and trigger short-term selling. Jim Cramer on Costco: “I Am Concerned I Might Sell the Rest”
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is outpacing Costco in China (rapid store/e‑commerce expansion) — growing competition in a key international market poses a strategic risk to Costco’s overseas growth thesis. Sam’s Club Is Beating Costco at Its Own Game—in China

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $950.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total value of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 6,339 shares of company stock worth $5,916,642 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $867.84 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $901.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $937.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $385.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.48, a P/E/G ratio of 5.23 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.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.