Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. Lowers Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Capital Group Private Client Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 77.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,482 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 22,462 shares during the quarter. Capital Group Private Client Services Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,000,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 1,377,328 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second 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 last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% in the second quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $317,722,000 after acquiring an additional 318,876 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $997.36 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $967.03 and its 200 day moving average is $935.85. The firm has a market cap of $442.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.86, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders 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 (DPR) is 27.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125 (from $1,115) and kept a Buy rating after Costco’s Q2 beat, citing strong membership income and traffic — a supportive signal for upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets/reporting services published higher price targets (including one noting a raise to $1,315), showing continued analyst bullishness and a range of upside scenarios priced in by some firms. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Tax/tariff news: a federal trade‑court ruling could generate tariff refunds that management says it may pass to members as lower prices — this would reinforce Costco’s value proposition and membership stickiness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: February comparable‑store sales were strong (Zacks cites comps up ~7.9%) and e‑commerce grew double digits, supporting the premium valuation on fundamental grounds. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa raised its target to $975 but kept a Neutral rating — a modestly positive PT move offset by a non‑bullish stance. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist nudged its target higher to $977 (from $926) but reiterated a Hold, noting membership growth remains a constraint — mixed signal for near‑term upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company expansion note: Costco is building another standalone gas station — incremental revenue/traffic detail that is likely modestly accretive over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide coverage pieces (Fool, Seeking Alpha) continue to debate valuation vs. peers (Walmart, Home Depot) — helpful context but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $1,088, which, along with comments about premium valuation, adds near‑term downside risk if growth disappoints. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/expectations: some analysts and writeups (Seeking Alpha coverage noted) view shares as fairly valued — combined with membership‑growth headwinds this can pressure the stock when sentiment weakens. Read More.

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.