Alpha Cubed Investments LLC Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Alpha Cubed Investments LLC reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,946 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 560 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.0% of Alpha Cubed Investments LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $29,570,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $48,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco announced its next dividend payment (record/paid schedule) that supports income-focused holders and underscores predictable cash returns for shareholders. Costco to pay dividends on February 13
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive with an average rating of “Moderate Buy,” which can limit downside from coordinated selling and supports investor confidence. Given Average Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) and multiple long-term bullish write-ups reinforce the narrative that Costco’s membership model and warehouse expansion remain durable drivers for growth. These narratives can attract longer-term buyers. Jim Cramer Says “I Want You to Stay With Costco”
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco as a momentum/long-term growth stock reiterates positives (same-store sales, new warehouses), but these are largely reiterations rather than new catalysts. Why Costco is a Top Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data in recent feeds is inconsistent/erroneous (zeros/NaN) and should not be treated as a reliable signal on current positioning. (No link — data summary.)
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s $5 rotisserie chickens are not preservative‑free, claiming use of sodium phosphate and carrageenan; this raises legal, settlement and reputational risks tied to a high‑volume, signature product. Such suits can pressure near-term sentiment and valuation multiples. Costco Is Sued Over Preservatives in Its $5 Rotisserie Chickens
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets amplify the lawsuit story (local filing in San Diego), increasing media attention and potential customer PR impact — a headline risk that likely contributed to today’s selloff. Costco accused of deceiving shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/peer-compare pieces argue competitors like Dollar General may offer more upside given turnaround and real‑estate/digital initiatives — a narrative that can cap multiple expansion for Costco given its already-premium valuation. Costco vs. Dollar General: Which is the better buy?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Gordon Haskett decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Twenty-one investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $952.89 on Friday. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $905.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $929.87. 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 $422.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.04, a P/E/G ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were 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 $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

About Costco Wholesale

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.