Clearstead Advisors LLC Lowers Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Clearstead Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,199 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,988 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $42,763,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Bank lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,787,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $985.27 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $934.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $934.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The company has a market cap of $437.33 billion, a PE ratio of 52.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed‑on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell‑side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short‑term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety litigation: a class‑action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near‑term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.