GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC Buys 1,560 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 73.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,671 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the period. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,398,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after buying an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after acquiring an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $941.93 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $892.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $930.49. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $418.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.45, a PEG ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its 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. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president 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, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 10,446 shares of company stock worth $9,549,528 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales/technical breakout: Costco reported strong December sales (digital-enabled sales up ~19%, comp growth across U.S., Canada and international markets) and technical indicators have shown a recent breakout that many traders view as bullish. December sales release
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgrade / analyst interest: An upgrade and inclusion on a top‑picks list has attracted buying interest from institutions and retail investors, supporting near-term demand. Mizuho upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion — Reports show new warehouses under construction and announcements for additional openings (including a six‑warehouse story), reinforcing mid‑to‑longer‑term revenue and membership growth potential. Costco opening 6 new warehouses
• Positive Sentiment: ETF and sector flows: ETF managers highlighted Costco as a beneficiary in a split (K‑shaped) consumer environment—investors see it as a defensive/durable consumer play versus lower‑priced competitors. K-shaped economy ETFs
• Positive Sentiment: New product distribution: Quicklly’s launch of a ready‑to‑heat Indian meals line at Costco is a minor but positive indicator of increasing SKU diversity and appeal to specialist brands. Quicklly launches at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term features and comparisons reiterate Costco’s durable model but don’t add an immediate catalyst; helpful for conviction but not a short‑term driver. Where Will Costco Be in 5 Years?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reporting appears to contain data errors (zero shares reported); treat short‑interest headlines as unreliable until clarified.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (SEC Form 4), reducing his stake by ~15% in that filing—small in absolute terms but often read negatively by momentum traders. SEC Form 4 — Russell D. Miller
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and risk: Costco still trades at an elevated multiple (roughly 50x earnings). That valuation leaves the stock sensitive to any signs of slowing sales or membership trends, which can amplify short‑term down moves.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Argus increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 26th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Hovde Group initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale 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.