Alberta Investment Management Corp Sells 3,100 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Alberta Investment Management Corp decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 58.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,200 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,100 shares during the quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Peterson Wealth Services raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn issued a bullish outlook forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can support investor confidence and buy-side interest. Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Nike’s limited partnership with Costco is generating buzz and resale demand, signaling potential incremental traffic and a marketing win that can boost same-store sales and brand halo. Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Positive Sentiment: New consumer services — Costco is rolling out online and app-based custom cake ordering, a small but tangible ecommerce/service expansion that can modestly increase basket spend and convenience. Costco is unveiling online cake ordering and customers say its ‘awesome news’
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media comparisons: several pieces weigh Costco’s steady, membership-driven model versus peers (Target, Walmart) and debate upside potential given current valuation — useful for longer-term positioning but mixed near-term impact. Target vs. Costco: Which Discount Retail Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest report in February appears anomalous (reported large increase but shows zero shares / NaN); no clear evidence of a meaningful short squeeze risk at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco dropped a proposed project in Asheville citing regulatory requirements and costs — a sign of localized development friction that could slow planned square-footage growth. Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs
• Negative Sentiment: Product safety and recall issues: Costco faces a class-action alleging salmonella risk from rotisserie chicken and is issuing refunds/recalling certain restaurant gift cards — both create near-term legal/operational noise and potential costs. Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: commentary and trading reports note recent share declines amid a broader market bounce, reflecting investor reassessment of valuation after strong multi-year gains. Costco (COST) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $987.82 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $932.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $934.33. The company has a market capitalization of $438.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.91, a PEG ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Evercore increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,008.07.

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.