Fifth Third Bancorp Cuts Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Fifth Third Bancorp cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 228,919 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,902 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp owned 0.05% of Costco Wholesale worth $211,894,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,018.48 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,077.49. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $922.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $932.54. The company has a market cap of $452.07 billion, a PE ratio of 54.55, a P/E/G ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrades: Bernstein raised its target (to ~$1,155) and Evercore ISI lifted its target to $1,050, keeping upbeat ratings that support upside expectations. Bernstein Boosts COST Target
• Positive Sentiment: Europe expansion: Costco is piloting e‑commerce delivery in Europe, a meaningful new addressable market that could drive long‑term top‑line growth if scaled. Costco Tests European E Commerce Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Membership & promotions: Ongoing member promotions (e.g., digital shop-card offers) and strong member perks sustain renewal rates and engagement. Get a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and growth narratives: Multiple Zacks pieces highlight Costco as a momentum/top‑growth stock, supporting investor sentiment around durable comp and digital trends. Here’s Why Costco is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears erroneous (reports show 0 shares / NaN changes and a 0.0 days-to-cover ratio); not meaningful as reported and unlikely to explain price moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate culture/dei: Fortune reports Costco maintained DEI programs while some peers cut back—this may support talent/brand but is not an immediate earnings driver. Costco defied Trump’s DEI directive
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer coverage pieces (both positive “in awe” stories and critiques of recent changes) reflect mixed consumer sentiment—useful for brand monitoring but limited near-term impact. 10 Costco Changes That Made Customers Angry
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall: A recall of mini beignets for undeclared hazelnuts affects operations and could create modest near‑term costs or reputational noise. Costco recalls mini beignets
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff/legal risk: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear challenges to former‑administration tariffs (Feb. 20); an adverse ruling or delayed refunds could hurt retailer margins or cash recoveries. President Trump’s Tariffs To Face Feb.20 Supreme Court Hearing

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.