Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Boosted by Accuvest Global Advisors

Accuvest Global Advisors boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,221 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 824 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 3.6% of Accuvest Global Advisors’ portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Accuvest Global Advisors’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,758,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second 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 period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: BofA reinstated coverage with a Buy and $1,185 price target, citing strong pricing power and customer loyalty — a validation that can support upside sentiment. Costco (COST) Gains Buy Rating From BofA on Strength of Pricing and Customer Loyalty
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Costco’s history of earnings surprises and says the company has the elements to likely beat again, which could lift the stock if results beat estimates. Can Costco (COST) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting Costco reclaimed the title as the cheapest U.S. grocer vs. Walmart could support market-share and margin narratives. Walmart Stock (WMT) Dips as Costco Grabs its Cheapest Grocer Crown
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts point to technology investments (digital wallet, AI inventory, faster checkout) boosting U.S. productivity and protecting low prices — a structural positive for margins long term. Is Costco’s Technology Spending Finally Fueling Better Productivity?
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings pieces (Blockonomi/TipRanks) flag strong YTD performance and analyst estimates (~$4.55 EPS, ~$69B revenue) and a consensus of bullish price targets — supportive if results meet or beat. Should You Buy Costco Stock Before Thursday’s Q2 Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market calendars and option volatility notes list Costco among names with upcoming reports; higher option activity can amplify moves but is not directional on its own. Option Volatility And Earnings Report For March 2-6
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage-start notices and longer-term pieces (expansion plans, membership-driven dividend strategy) are background positives but less likely to move the stock before earnings. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Research Coverage Started at Bank of America
• Negative Sentiment: A Forbes column argues investors should sell as COST tests the $1,000 psychological level and highlights a ~55x P/E (~80% premium to retail median), feeding valuation concerns that can pressure the stock. Sell Costco Stock At $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader risk-off headlines (geopolitical strikes on Iran) sent futures lower and pulled down retail and risk assets generally, a market-force that can weigh on COST ahead of earnings. Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures plunge while oil prices surge as Iran conflict jolts markets

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,016.18.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,002.77 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $951.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $934.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market cap of $445.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.71, a PEG ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its 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 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 the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were 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 owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.