AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Purchases 62,075 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 46.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 197,113 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 62,075 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.8% of AustralianSuper Pty Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $182,454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the second 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 period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was 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 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of 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. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price 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. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet strength supports durability vs. retail headwinds — analysts point to Costco’s low debt, cash-rich position and rising membership fees as reasons it can outgrow sector pressures. Can Costco Outgrow Retail Headwinds? The Balance Sheet Says Yes
• Positive Sentiment: Upcoming dividend payment provides income support and may reduce near-term volatility for yield-focused holders — Costco will pay its next quarterly dividend on Feb. 13. Costco to pay dividends on February 13; Here’s how much 100 COST shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and bull-case coverage reinforce investor interest — multiple outlets highlight Costco as a long-term momentum/growth name and outline expansion and membership-driven revenue growth. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsement: Jim Cramer publicly reiterated his favorable view, which can reassure retail investors amid volatility. Jim Cramer Says “I Want You to Stay With Costco, I Still Like It”
• Neutral Sentiment: Ancillary product initiatives (e.g., Costco selling gold bars) have produced interesting niche returns but are unlikely to move top-line materially — more of a PR/ancillary revenue positive. If you bought a gold bar from Costco in 2025, here’s your return now
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing bullish thinkpieces and dividend-stock roundups keep investor attention but mostly restate known long-term strengths (membership model, steady same-store sales). Can This Unstoppable Stock Join the $1 Trillion Club in 5 Years?
• Negative Sentiment: Legal headline risk: a federal lawsuit alleges Costco mislabels its $4.99 rotisserie chickens as “preservative-free” despite using additives; media coverage and analysis raise potential reputational and litigation concerns that can pressure the stock near term. Costco accused of deceiving shoppers over popular $5 rotisserie chickens
• Negative Sentiment: Follow-up coverage examining valuation impact of the rotisserie-chicken suit and possible class-action costs could amplify volatility if legal exposure expands. Costco Rotisserie Chicken Lawsuit And What It Could Mean For Valuation

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $960.78 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $426.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 1.02. 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 company’s fifty day moving average is $904.48 and its 200-day moving average is $929.71.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio 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.