Ascent Group LLC Cuts Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Ascent Group LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,709 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 650 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,684,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. JB Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.8% during the fourth quarter. JB Capital LLC now owns 916 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $790,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. now owns 1,300 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,121,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Chatterton & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $209,000. Savvy Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 9,329 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,045,000 after buying an additional 538 shares during the period. Finally, Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,888 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,490,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $450.29 billion, a PE ratio of 52.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $989.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $940.51.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for 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%.During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 is presently 27.04%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a bullish view on Costco and highlighted a long-term growth runway, which helped lift the stock as investors price in durable membership-driven growth. Costco Stock Pops as Analyst Flags Growth Runway
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support continues: Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform rating, reinforcing buy-side confidence and possibly supporting multiple expansion. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity: a top executive executed a notable share purchase, which investors often view as management confidence in near-term fundamentals. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is pushing standalone gas stations in high-fuel-cost markets and opened a Manitoba Business Centre — moves that enhance value perception and broaden B2B revenue channels. Will Costco’s Gas and Business Centre Refine Its Value Narrative?
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed processing and reduce friction; potential margin benefits are longer-term and execution-dependent. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context and consumer interest pieces (product roundups, bakery comparisons) keep the brand top-of-mind but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. I’ve worked at Costco for 20 years
• Negative Sentiment: Value-price competition is heating up: Sam’s Club raised membership fees and grocery chains are cutting prices, which could intensify a margin squeeze across the sector; analysts suggest membership-price moves at competitors may pressure Costco to respond strategically. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. 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. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale 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.