Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations Increases Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 58.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,190 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,645 shares during the period. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Busey Bank boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,104,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $978.14 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $918.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $931.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 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 has a market capitalization of $434.17 billion, a PE ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm 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 company’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Hovde Group began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.00.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI raised its price target to $1,050 and kept an “outperform” rating — a formal analyst upgrade that supports further upside. Evercore price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan/other Wall Street commentary flagged upside potential for COST, reinforcing analyst conviction and likely supporting buying interest. JPMorgan analyst says stock expected to rise
• Positive Sentiment: Local development news shows continued footprint expansion (Sanford Seminole Towne Center), which supports sales growth and long‑term comp opportunities. Sanford Costco development
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting the stock’s YTD momentum and bullish price targets (including speculative $1,200 debate) can attract momentum traders and retail buyers. Can COST hit $1,200?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor discussion about potential special dividends keeps yield-focused investors interested — a visible catalyst ahead of earnings that could lift the stock if management signals payouts. Special dividend speculation
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest postings show effectively zero reported short interest (odd/possibly stale data), so short squeeze risk appears minimal based on current figures. (No external link)
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting regional store features (e.g., outdoor food courts) and the Costco Pharmacy provide consumer interest/brand goodwill but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Members in awe of regional stores Costco Pharmacy explainer
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and research sites (Zacks, Yahoo/MarketBeat summaries) are flagging COST as a trending/bullish name — useful context for flows but not a direct fundamental change. Zacks trending stock note Are analysts bullish?
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that some third‑party gift cards sold at Costco are now worthless represent a reputational/headline risk and could prompt short‑term customer concern. Worthless gift cards report
• Negative Sentiment: Recall alerts tied to products with “severe” reactions are a near‑term operational/headline negative that could press sentiment until resolved. Recall update

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.