Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by State of Michigan Retirement System

State of Michigan Retirement System lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 174,869 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 700 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.8% of State of Michigan Retirement System’s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest holding. State of Michigan Retirement System’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $161,864,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Concord Wealth Partners increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Concord Wealth Partners now owns 3,064 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,836,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 2,021 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,871,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the period. Modus Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.9% in the third quarter. Modus Advisors LLC now owns 2,132 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,973,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.8% in the third quarter. Poehling Capital Management INC. now owns 723 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $669,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, MONECO Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.6% during the third quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 2,574 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,383,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s January sales report showed solid comp growth and digital strength, which traders have credited for recent upside in COST. Costco Stock Rallies On Strong January Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $1,100 and kept an Outperform rating — a bullish signal that increases upside expectations from Wall Street. Oppenheimer adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its target (to $1,065) and kept an Outperform rating, citing rebounding membership trends — supportive for longer-term revenue and renewal visibility. Mizuho Raises Costco Target as Membership Trends Rebound
• Positive Sentiment: Macro flows: BofA flagged record inflows into consumer staples amid a tech selloff, helping defensive retailers like Costco attract demand. Walmart, Costco, XLP Surge As BofA Flags Record Inflows
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and membership initiatives (Cam arillo opening timeline; moves to fix membership issues) support continued sales growth and member retention. Costco Camarillo gets opening timeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Wells Fargo raised its PT to $950 but keeps an Equal Weight, and DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target — results in varied near-term views. Wells Fargo raises PT on Costco DA Davidson reaffirms neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data posted today is effectively zero/invalid (no actionable change), so it isn’t driving price action. (Entry shows 0 shares and NaN increase.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-interest pieces and product buzz (e.g., viral food items, product availability lists) are getting social attention but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Costco cookie cake reactions
• Negative Sentiment: Roth MKM and some cautious analysts warn about a possible stockpiling reversal (inventory normalization) that could slow comps in February — a risk investors are watching. Costco stock climbs after strong January sales (blockonomi)
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer and others flagged that Costco has been selling discounted luxury items in Chinese warehouses — an oddity that raises questions about merchandising controls and brand perception overseas. Jim Cramer on discounted Hermès Birkin items

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,006.19.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,001.16 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $444.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.91 and a beta of 1.01. 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 firm’s 50 day moving average is $914.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $930.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

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.