Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 8,259 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,210,837 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 8,259 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.27% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,120,787,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the third 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. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $48,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.3%

NASDAQ COST opened at $940.25 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $417.35 billion, a PE ratio of 50.36, a P/E/G ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $906.50 and its 200 day moving average is $929.32. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $996.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.