Savant Capital LLC Sells 2,478 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Savant Capital LLC lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 17,183 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,478 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,904,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: January sales beat expectations — Costco reported retail month net sales of $21.33 billion for January, up 9.3% year-over-year, supporting growth momentum and underlying cash flow visibility. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports January Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and comp strength highlighted — reporting and media coverage emphasize Costco outpaced broad retail sales in January and that its digital business performed well, a near-term growth trigger for investors. Costco outpaces broad retail sales in January as its digital business shines
• Positive Sentiment: Membership revenue strength — analysts note membership fee growth (reported ~14% jump in Q1 FY26) and steady renewal behavior that supports predictable recurring revenue and margins. Costco’s Membership Model Continues to Deliver Predictable Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional renewal rates — coverage highlights a ~92% renewal rate in the U.S. & Canada (≈89.8% worldwide), reinforcing the durability of Costco’s membership “moat.” Nine Out of Ten Costco Members Renew
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Gordon Haskett raised its price target to $1,100, giving upside room from current levels; Telsey reaffirmed an Outperform rating, which can support buyer interest. Gordon Haskett adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate persists — pieces are probing whether Costco’s high P/E is justified after multi-year share gains and membership strength; this keeps valuation a focal point for longer-term investors. Is Costco Wholesale (COST) Pricing Reflect Lofty P/E
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector context — coverage (e.g., Barron’s) notes staples stocks look frothy vs. their historical safety role, which can temper momentum if market risk appetite shifts. Staples Stocks Are Known for Safety. Now They Look Way Too Frothy.
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls for bakery items — Costco has recalled beignets/mini-beignets and other pastries due to packaging mix-ups and undeclared nuts/allergen risks across multiple states, creating potential reputational and operational headaches for the foodservice side. Costco recall beignets
• Negative Sentiment: Labeling lawsuit — a suit challenges Costco’s “no preservatives” claim on rotisserie chicken, which could increase legal/PR risk and potential liability if the case gains traction. Lawsuit challenges Costco’s ‘no preservatives’ labeling

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday. HSBC dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer cut 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, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $998.50.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $978.33 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $911.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $929.80. The firm has a market cap of $434.25 billion, a PE ratio of 52.40, a PEG ratio of 5.85 and a beta of 1.01.

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, 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.04 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.