FFG Partners LLC Has $7.36 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

FFG Partners LLC reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 51.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,532 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 9,057 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 2.1% of FFG Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. FFG Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,358,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $998.47 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $995.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $942.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales beat and traffic strength — Costco reported March net sales up ~11.3% to $28.41B with strong comps and digital growth, reinforcing momentum in membership, transactions and fuel-driven traffic. This is the main fundamental bullish catalyst supporting higher estimates for revenue and same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades / price-target raises — Deutsche Bank, Telsey and Wells Fargo raised price targets (Deutsche to $1,104; Telsey to $1,135; Wells Fargo to $1,000), providing analyst support that can underpin upside in the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media/catalyst mentions — Jim Cramer highlighted two operational catalysts (e.g., fuel pricing and other retailer advantages), and viral consumer interest in Costco’s one-ounce gold bars and popular product finds is boosting brand visibility and short-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterates Neutral at $1,000 — the firm reaffirmed a neutral view with a target essentially in line with the stock’s level, suggesting limited near-term upside from that shop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and retail write-ups continue to praise Costco’s long-term thesis — several outlets (The Motley Fool, Zacks, Yahoo lifestyle pieces) published favorable takes on Costco’s moat and product wins; these support sentiment but are longer‑term confirmation rather than immediate catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data shows no meaningful build — reported short interest was effectively zero in the latest snapshot, so short-covering or squeeze dynamics are not a near-term driver. (likely data/formatting artifact)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — several analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha, some sell-side notes) argue Costco’s premium multiple (~50x) is hard to justify, which can cap upside and prompt profit-taking after the sales beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Macro / headline-driven risk — broader market weakness (S&P futures reacting to geopolitical headlines) likely weighed on retail and large-cap retailers today and may have triggered sector-wide selling pressure that offset Costco’s positive sales print. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related 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 transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,416 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,043.13.

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.