Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Boosts Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 83,080 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,899 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $76,213,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Birchbrook Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 456 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $431,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the second quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the second quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Busey Bank boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Gordon Haskett cut their price objective on shares of 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. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Daiwa Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Nineteen equities 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $992.08.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Traffic and member engagement are picking up, supporting Costco’s core membership model and comp-sales outlook — a positive fundamental signal for revenue and renewal momentum. Costco’s Traffic Growth Signals Strong Member Engagement Trends
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation that Costco could be a stock-split candidate has circulated, which can attract retail interest and improve liquidity if management acts (a split is only speculative today). These Are The 3 Stock Split Candidates Heading Into 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces recap Costco’s long-term returns and the company’s strengths heading into 2026; these are helpful reminders of the business quality but don’t add new catalyst information. Costco’s 2025: 3 Things Investors Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several consumer-facing promotions and articles (membership deals, how to buy leveraged exposure) may affect retail interest or derivative flows but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Membership promotion
• Negative Sentiment: An executive insider, EVP Javier Polit, disclosed two recent sales (Dec. 29 and Dec. 30) totaling roughly 2,607 shares for about $2.26M; the reduction in his position may weigh on sentiment even if routine liquidity needs explain the trades. Insider Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces flag Costco’s rich valuation despite strong fundamentals — commentary that the stock is “expensive” can pressure near-term performance as investors debate upside vs. valuation. If You’d Invested $1,000 in Costco 10 Years Ago
• Negative Sentiment: High-profile commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) urging better messaging could amplify concerns around communication/execution, adding short-term headline risk. Jim Cramer commentary

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $862.34 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $382.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.19, a PEG ratio of 5.19 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day moving average of $897.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $936.32. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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