Boston Common Asset Management LLC Sells 1,247 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Boston Common Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,185 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,247 shares during the period. Boston Common Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,508,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COST. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,022 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,744,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 162,443 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $140,081,000 after buying an additional 19,942 shares in the last quarter. Presidio Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 16.3% in the 4th quarter. Presidio Capital Management LLC now owns 769 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $663,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 48,817 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,112,000 after buying an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westend Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 66.5% in the 4th quarter. Westend Capital Management LLC now owns 566 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $488,000 after buying an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Faster checkout tests could boost throughput and member satisfaction — Costco is rolling out automated pay stations and a new checkout technology that cuts payment times to ~8–10 seconds, which can raise store capacity and lower labor friction. Costco’s new checkout technology cuts payment time down to 8 seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Private‑label Kirkland energy drinks launch — Costco introduced Kirkland sparkling energy drinks at lower price points, a move that can lift category sales, margin mix and pressuring branded rivals (which has already moved peer stocks). Costco Kirkland Energy Drinks Spark Competition And Raise Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive warehouse expansion planned — Management plans ~28 new warehouses in FY26 and intends to add ~30+ annually, supporting membership growth, same-store traffic and long-term revenue capacity. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Canada business‑centre expansion supports B2B growth — Rolling out Business Centres across Canada broadens wholesale/B2B exposure, which can improve order size and commercial membership traction. Costco Expands Business Centres Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive chart/analyst attention — IBD named Costco a Stock of the Day and some articles highlight long-term investor appeal; this technical/coverage spotlight can attract momentum flows but doesn’t change fundamentals overnight. Costco, IBD’s Stock Of The Day, Rallies This Year As Markets Fall
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer tip articles on saving at the pump — Coverage on how members save on gas at Costco is informational and supports the value proposition, but is unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Saving on gas at Costco and Sam’s Club in Phoenix is easy. Here’s how
• Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit alleging price increases then tariff refunds — A suit claims Costco raised prices and sought tariff refunds from the government; litigation risk could bring reputational, regulatory and potential financial costs if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds from government
• Negative Sentiment: Rising gas prices and broader consumer pressure — Higher pump prices and worries about consumer spending are cited as recession risks; while Costco benefits from gas sales, sustained higher gas could dent discretionary spending and membership renewal behavior over time. Higher gas prices could spell recession risks to some US consumers
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from large peers — Analysts note Walmart’s e‑commerce and omnichannel scale could pressure Costco’s growth/market share in some categories, an important competitive consideration for margin and long‑term share gains. The Zacks Analyst Blog Walmart and Costco

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $442.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The business’s 50-day moving average is $987.35 and its 200 day moving average is $939.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued 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 dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

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.