Financial Consulate Inc. Purchases New Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,283 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,188,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Peterson Wealth Services increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the second quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $992.08.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $862.34 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $382.77 billion, a PE ratio of 46.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 1.02. 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 Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $896.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $935.81.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors 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 yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were 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 directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,946 shares of company stock valued at $8,175,048. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarter: Costco beat consensus EPS and revenue (EPS $4.34 vs. $4.27; revenue $67.31B) and showed mid‑single digit revenue growth, reinforcing the company’s resilient membership model and steady cash flow. MarketBeat – COST data & earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion: Costco is moving to open two new Ontario locations — continued warehouse growth supports long‑term revenue and membership fee expansion. Costco takes steps to open two new locations in Ontario
• Positive Sentiment: Promotions & merch: Membership promotions and ongoing new product assortments can help recruit/retain members and boost near‑term cash flow and traffic. Score a $40 Digital Costco Shop Card with a $65 Gold Star Membership
• Positive Sentiment: Stock‑split chatter: Commentary naming COST as a potential stock‑split candidate can attract retail interest and short‑term demand if expectations build. These Are The 3 Stock Split Candidates Heading Into 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer/PR pieces (hours, shopping lists, retrospective returns) keep brand visibility high but are not immediate catalysts for the stock. Examples include New Year’s hours and lifestyle articles. Is Costco open or closed on New Year’s Day 2026? Must-Try Costco New Arrivals For January 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/positioning pieces label Costco as a premium defensive name — useful for long‑term allocation but not an immediate price driver. Are These 3 Leading Defensive Stocks Too Crowded Heading Into 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Javier Polit sold roughly 2,600 shares across late‑December transactions (~$862–$867 avg), materially reducing his position. Repeated/large insider sales can sap sentiment by signaling personal liquidity taking rather than conviction. SEC Form 4 – Javier Polit
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation pressure: COST trades at elevated multiples (P/E ~46), leaving limited margin for error — any slowdown vs. analyst expectations or macro weakness could trigger multiple compression. Market data & valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Operational risk: a recent cargo/theft incident affecting product bound for Costco is an isolated but tangible reminder of supply‑chain shrink risk and potential cost exposure. Oysters, crab and $400,000 worth of lobster meat stolen in New England

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.