Welch & Forbes LLC Reduces Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Welch & Forbes LLC decreased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 161,993 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,065 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.8% of Welch & Forbes LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $149,946,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the second quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 657 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $645,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding same‑day delivery across Europe (Paris to Madrid), which supports international growth and services-led revenue expansion. Costco Stock (COST) has no Joie de Vivre Despite Expanding Services to Paris and Madrid
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally favorable (average “Moderate Buy” / bullish writeups), offering support amid near‑term volatility. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco continues product and membership promotions (Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk release, Gold Star membership digital shop card) that boost customer engagement but are unlikely to move near‑term results materially. Costco and Nike released the Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk shoes. Are they worth it? This Costco Gold Star Membership gets you a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card*
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains rich (high P/E relative to peers), which can amplify reactions to news and weighs on upside in a risk‑off session. (Background market data)
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed class‑action accuses Costco of misleading customers by marketing its rotisserie chicken as having “no preservatives.” Legal risk and reputation headlines are the clearest short‑term negative catalyst. Costco Is Sued Over Preservatives in Its $5 Rotisserie Chickens Costco sued over ‘no preservatives’ claims
• Negative Sentiment: Some fund activity shows minor trimming of positions (e.g., Alpha Cubed Investments sold shares), which can add to downward pressure in a smaller‑volume selloff. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $940.25 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $417.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.36, a P/E/G ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business’s 50-day moving average is $906.50 and its 200-day moving average is $929.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s 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.