Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. Sells 8,195 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. trimmed its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 118,281 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,195 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.7% of Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $109,484,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $985.27 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $934.56 and its 200 day moving average is $934.47. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $437.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued 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 currently 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on COST. Hovde Group began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed‑on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell‑side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short‑term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety litigation: a class‑action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near‑term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

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.