Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 403,482 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,775 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.6% of Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Cerity Partners LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Costco Wholesale worth $373,476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bulwark Capital Corp acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 900.0% in the first quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its stake 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.5%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $889.10 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $893.00 and a 200-day moving average of $932.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $394.64 billion, a PE ratio of 47.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23.

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. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. 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 report on Tuesday, December 16th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target 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. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $994.08.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded COST to “outperform” and raised its price target to $1,000, giving investors a near-term upside anchor and likely supporting buying interest. COST upgraded at Mizuho
• Positive Sentiment: Costco expects a new Port St. Lucie distribution center to open in March 2026 — a logistics expansion that can lower fulfillment costs and improve inventory flow in Florida. Port St. Lucie distribution center
• Positive Sentiment: Costco NZ reported its first profit since 2022 (NZ$9.6m) as revenue climbed, signaling international unit economics are improving. Costco NZ posts profit
• Positive Sentiment: Member partnerships (e.g., discounted Cadillac/Volvo EV offers) and perks may boost membership value and retention — a sticky revenue driver for the warehouse model. EV discounts for members
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and coverage pieces highlight Costco’s growing digital ecosystem (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) as a compounding growth engine and referenced possible special/dividend actions, adding to bullish sentiment. Digital ecosystem article
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary bundles Costco among mega-cap “durable compounders” for 2026 — supportive longer‑term narrative but not a short‑term catalyst by itself. Why These 3 Mega-Caps Could Still Surprise
• Neutral Sentiment: high-profile investor commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer, Motley Fool lists) repeats a long-term buy thesis for COST; useful for sentiment but not an immediate fundamental change. Cramer’s Stop Trading: Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst pieces and models remain cautious: Zacks and others have published guarded near‑term earnings outlooks, calling out potential Q2 softness — a restraint on valuation. Zacks pessimistic outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Price‑target/forecast pieces note COST has pulled back from its 52‑week high and faces valuation questions; that technical/valuation pressure can limit near‑term upside. Price prediction and recent pullback

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.