Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Sells 6,632 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 235,477 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,632 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.3% of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. owned about 0.05% of Costco Wholesale worth $217,964,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its position in 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 in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,700,000 after buying an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron’s: Tariff refunds are getting messy

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 1.01. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $975.52 and its 200 day moving average is $937.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

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.