Howard Capital Management Inc. Has $36.36 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 23.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,282 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,573 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.4% of Howard Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berman McAleer LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $212,000. National Pension Service raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.7% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 997,577 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $923,387,000 after acquiring an additional 26,542 shares during the last quarter. RWWM Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $3,982,000. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $82,000. Finally, Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 4,518 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,182,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. BTIG Research started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price on the stock. HSBC cut their price target 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, Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $940.25 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $417.35 billion, a PE ratio of 50.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $906.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $929.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding same‑day delivery across Europe (Paris to Madrid), which supports international growth and services-led revenue expansion. Costco Stock (COST) has no Joie de Vivre Despite Expanding Services to Paris and Madrid
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally favorable (average “Moderate Buy” / bullish writeups), offering support amid near‑term volatility. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco continues product and membership promotions (Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk release, Gold Star membership digital shop card) that boost customer engagement but are unlikely to move near‑term results materially. Costco and Nike released the Kirkland x Nike SB Dunk shoes. Are they worth it? This Costco Gold Star Membership gets you a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card*
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains rich (high P/E relative to peers), which can amplify reactions to news and weighs on upside in a risk‑off session. (Background market data)
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed class‑action accuses Costco of misleading customers by marketing its rotisserie chicken as having “no preservatives.” Legal risk and reputation headlines are the clearest short‑term negative catalyst. Costco Is Sued Over Preservatives in Its $5 Rotisserie Chickens Costco sued over ‘no preservatives’ claims
• Negative Sentiment: Some fund activity shows minor trimming of positions (e.g., Alpha Cubed Investments sold shares), which can add to downward pressure in a smaller‑volume selloff. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, 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 directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.