Clearstead Trust LLC Has $6.54 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Clearstead Trust LLC lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,066 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 555 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.1% of Clearstead Trust LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Clearstead Trust LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in 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 during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% in the second quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $317,722,000 after buying an additional 318,876 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price 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-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $985.27 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. The stock has a market capitalization 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. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $934.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $934.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released 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 business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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

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.