Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Holdings Lowered by Alps Advisors Inc.

Alps Advisors Inc. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 27.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,295 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,736 shares during the quarter. Alps Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,752,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,328 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% in the 2nd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $317,722,000 after purchasing an additional 318,876 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,001.16 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $914.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $930.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $444.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Gordon Haskett upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Twenty-one equities 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,006.19.

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.