Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Has $26.46 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 30.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,688 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,244 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $26,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during 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 bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought 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.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $983.86 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $436.49 billion, a PE ratio of 51.16, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $986.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $938.98. 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 quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given 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 27.04%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, signaling stronger-than-expected profit outlook that supports higher valuation multiples for COST. Erste Group EPS Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out standalone gas stations — a potential traffic driver and membership-value play that could boost ancillary revenue and stickiness of memberships. Costco Is Launching Standalone Gas Stations
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened its 11th Canadian Business Centre (Winnipeg), expanding B2B footprint, creating local jobs and increasing wholesale penetration in a new province. Canada’s Eleventh Costco Business Centre
• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland energy drink rollout is drawing customer enthusiasm and could pressure branded competitors while reinforcing Costco’s private-label margin advantages. Kirkland Energy Drink Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsements and favorable press (Charlie Munger praise, coverage highlighting membership loyalty) help sentiment and investor confidence in Costco’s durable model. Charlie Munger on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Costco to Walmart and Amazon frames Costco as a defensive, membership-driven retailer but highlights intensifying omnichannel and ad-revenue competition from peers. Walmart or Costco: Who’s Winning?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor write-ups (Fool, MarketBeat) continue to list Costco as a top consumer-staples holding — supportive for long-term flows but not a catalyst for immediate re-rating. The 2 Best Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media flag concerns about membership-growth trends and rich valuation — a key risk that could cap upside if membership or comparable-sales momentum slows. Analyst Concerns on Membership Growth

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.