First Trust Advisors LP Raises Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 489,848 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 47,253 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.11% of Costco Wholesale worth $453,418,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Modern Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 40.7% during the third quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,008 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,116,000 after purchasing an additional 3,471 shares in the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 42,201 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $39,060,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Guardian Capital LP boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Guardian Capital LP now owns 57,507 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $53,230,000 after purchasing an additional 3,192 shares in the last quarter. Per Stirling Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. Per Stirling Capital Management LLC. now owns 365 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trustmark Bank Trust Department grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department now owns 5,985 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,540,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,035.35.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.10 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $961.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $936.05. 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 capitalization of $443.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.90, a PEG ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 29.37%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. 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: Q2 double‑beat — Costco reported revenue of ~$69.6B and GAAP EPS of $4.58, with comp‑store strength and membership fee growth that underpin near‑term sales momentum. This is the main catalyst supporting the rally. Costco Wholesale beats quarterly comparable sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — several brokers (notably a large Street high by BMO cited in coverage) raised targets and reiterated outperform/overweight views, adding upward pressure. Costco Stock Scores New Street‑High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & balance‑sheet strength — commentary and notes on buybacks, a rising cash pile and the “special dividend” thesis are attracting income/return‑focused investors and support further upside. Costco Wholesale: Buy Now, Get Paid Later as Cash and Returns Build
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum — online sales growth (~22.6%) and rising membership income are cited on the call as durable drivers of mix and margins, supporting investor confidence. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — while many raised targets, a few (e.g., Goldman) trimmed targets even as they kept buy calls; that creates a mix of conviction levels among institutional holders. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Muted market reaction — despite the beat, some headlines note a tepid price move (and some pre‑market weakness) as investors weigh valuation metrics versus growth. That can lead to intraday volatility. Costco Stock Exhibits Muted Reaction Amid Double‑Beat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and “red flags” narrative — some outlets argue the stock is expensive (high P/E, PEG) and list risks that could cap upside; those narratives are pressuring more value‑sensitive investors. Is Costco Too Expensive? 3 Red Flags That Could Send Shares Sliding

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.