Prospera Financial Services Inc lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 14.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 25,450 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,413 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,577,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after buying an additional 90,107 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,124,263,000 after buying an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during 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 in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded COST to “overweight” and raised its price target to $1,050, signaling analyst confidence and providing upside to the stock. JPMorgan raises COST price target to $1,050
- Positive Sentiment: January sales and Costco’s value proposition (pricing, private label, e-commerce + warehouse footprint) are being flagged as drivers for continued traffic and revenue growth — a bullish operational read-through for 2026. Is Costco’s January Sales Surge Fueling a Bigger 2026 Rally?
- Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its Instacart partnership in Europe, which can boost e-commerce volume and improve cross-border growth optionality. Costco Expands Instacart In Europe As Valuation Stays Above Fair Value
- Positive Sentiment: Company expansion plans, including a proposed 20-store strategy in Australia, support long-term member and sales growth in a relatively underpenetrated market. Can anyone compete with Costco’s 20-store plan?
- Positive Sentiment: An institutional buyer, RFG Advisory LLC, modestly increased its Costco stake, a small signal of continued investor interest. Costco Shares Purchased by RFG Advisory LLC
- Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a “Neutral” rating on COST, which may temper near-term momentum from upgrades. DA Davidson reiterates Neutral on COST
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media pieces are debating whether the 15% year-to-date rise makes Costco a buy — helpful for retail interest but largely reiterative analysis rather than new company-specific catalysts. Costco Stock Is Up 15% This Year. Time to Buy?
- Negative Sentiment: Some commentary highlights valuation as a risk — Costco’s premium P/E and elevated multiple relative to growth could limit upside unless top-line acceleration and margin expansion persist. Valuation watch: Is COST expensive?
Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.4%
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last posted its 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. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale
In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of 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. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,007.42.
View Our Latest Report on Costco Wholesale
About Costco Wholesale
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.
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