Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Copeland Capital Management LLC

Copeland Capital Management LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 24.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,038 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,940 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,143,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. HSBC reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Daiwa Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $865.65 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23. The business’s fifty day moving average is $899.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $936.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market cap of $384.24 billion, a PE ratio of 46.37, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The firm 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 firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports strong traffic gains and rising digital engagement, reinforcing Costco’s value/membership-driven model and supporting durable revenue growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast says Costco’s global expansion is gaining momentum — a tailwind for long-term store-level sales and membership growth outside the U.S. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 247WallSt publishes a bullish take arguing Costco could surge and even split its stock in 2026, which can attract momentum investors and spark speculative buying. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/deal coverage highlights a discounted membership offer (digital Shop Card for new Gold Star sign-ups) that could modestly boost new-member adds in the near term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives-focused pieces note increased trading strategies around COST (buying leveraged upside via spreads), signaling active trader interest but not a directional fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morning‑read pieces (The Motley Fool / Yahoo guides) reiterate Costco’s steady business model: memberships drive profitability and slow, consistent comp growth is the core thesis — helpful context for buy-and-hold investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is gaining ground in China, highlighting competitive risks to Costco’s international growth and margin profile in that market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that COST has “tumbled despite higher free cash flow and FCF margins” underscores investor frustration that operational strength hasn’t translated into price support — a sentiment drag. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Logistics/cargo-theft stories include a theft of lobster meat destined for Costco stores — a reminder of supply-chain and security risks that can create isolated product disruptions and minor cost/headline noise. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,339 shares of company stock valued at $5,916,642. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.