First National Bank of Omaha Takes $12.04 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First National Bank of Omaha purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 13,003 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $12,036,000. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.8% of First National Bank of Omaha’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,364,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,328 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% during the second quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $317,722,000 after acquiring an additional 318,876 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,012.05 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,071.00. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $928.05 and a 200 day moving average of $933.51. The stock has a market cap of $449.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Digital and warehouse growth remain strong (e‑commerce comps +20.5%, new stores boosting sales), supporting longer‑term revenue momentum. Costco’s Digital Demand and Warehouse Strength Create a Dual Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Member enthusiasm for new food‑court offering (McDonald’s‑style item) is positive for in‑club traffic and ancillary sales. Costco launches McDonald’s copycat food court item that members call ‘top notch’
• Positive Sentiment: New mobile ordering for cakes/deli could improve customer convenience and drive higher average tickets for the deli category. Costco cake online ordering is coming
• Neutral Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $1,000 but kept a “neutral” rating — the PT is close to current levels, giving limited directional push. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale to $1,000
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and valuation commentary continue to evolve; a recent roundup of analyst moves highlights mixed views that could keep share volatility elevated. How Recent Analyst Moves Are Shaping The Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reporting in mid‑February shows effectively zero reported short position (data contains anomalies), so short squeeze dynamics are unlikely to be a driver. (internal short‑interest entries)
• Negative Sentiment: Gift cards sold at Costco are at risk after the issuer declared bankruptcy, creating potential consumer refunds/liability and reputational concern. Gift cards sold at Costco at risk after issuer declares sudden bankruptcy
• Negative Sentiment: Related recall: Costco issued a recall on certain restaurant gift cards, which amplifies near‑term consumer and operational risk. Costco issues recall on restaurant gift cards
• Negative Sentiment: Legal exposure: Costco faces a U.S. class action alleging salmonella risk (and separate rotisserie‑chicken complaint coverage), which could mean litigation costs, recalls or reputational damage if claims progress. Costco hit by US class action over salmonella risk claims

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 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.