Argentarii LLC Raises Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Argentarii LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,582 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 524 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.6% of Argentarii LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Argentarii LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,814,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is testing standalone gas stations, a move that could deepen its membership moat by turning fuel into a traffic and retention tool, supporting long‑term comps and membership revenue. Costco Is Launching Standalone Gas Stations. Why the Heck Does Wall Street Care?
• Positive Sentiment: Rising gas prices are likely to benefit Costco because its low pump pricing drives membership signups/renewals and consistent store traffic — making fuel a strategic advantage rather than a profit center. Will Rising Gas Prices Send Costco’s Stock Higher?
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts (FY2026 → $20.43; FY2027 → $22.47), signaling stronger-than-expected profit momentum versus consensus — a direct bullish catalyst for earnings expectations. Erste Group Raises Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland‑branded energy drinks are drawing strong member interest and are pressuring rivals (e.g., Celsius), showing Costco can use private‑label launches to win share and margin—a tailwind for sales and membership value. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Costco secured a Polaris site in Columbus, adding capacity in a growth market and signaling continued store footprint growth that supports membership gains over time. Costco Grabs Polaris Plot For Bigger Columbus Footprint
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly bullish with a consensus price target near $1,100, but the coverage notes increasing concerns around membership-growth trends and the stock’s valuation — mixed signals for near‑term momentum. Analysts Bullish on Costco Despite Concerns
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/competition coverage (press and ETFs): commentary about the COSW covered‑call ETF and media pieces on Costco deals/products may influence sentiment but don’t alter fundamentals. COSW Sells Away Costco’s Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/consumer refund watch: FedEx, Costco and UPS are named as targets for consumer tariff refund programs — could produce one‑time benefits but uncertain impact. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: COST trades at a premium multiple (PE ~51, PEG ~4.8) — strong execution is already priced in, so any slowdown in membership growth or comp traffic could pressure the stock despite positive operational news. Analysts Flag Membership & Valuation Risks

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $979.65 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $434.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.94, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $986.29 and a 200-day moving average of $939.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

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.