Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Banco Santander S.A.

Banco Santander S.A. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 41.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,367 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,119 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $29,034,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. R Squared Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 978.6% during the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 2,373 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,197,000 after purchasing an additional 2,153 shares in the last quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the third quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,221 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,056,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Lansing Street Advisors increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.2% in the third quarter. Lansing Street Advisors now owns 1,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,176,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.5% in the third quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,339 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,451,000 after acquiring an additional 754 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 16,382 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,164,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target to $1,000 (from $990), citing modest same‑store sales and an earnings beat — a near‑term vote of confidence from an influential sell‑side shop. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court action on IEEPA tariffs and FedEx’s statement that it will return any tariff refunds reduces a key cost/uncertainty risk for import‑reliant retailers like Costco. That legal resolution is supportive for margins and inventory planning. FedEx says it will return to customers any refunds it gets back from Trump’s illegal tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: municipal/state approvals for new Costco locations in Lawrence and Southborough signal continued store growth and membership acquisition opportunities in those markets. (Supports long‑term revenue footprint.) A new Costco will be built in Lawrence — the city’s first. Here’s what to know Costco proposal in Southborough earns state approval. What’s next
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and retail‑sector commentary (Zacks, TipRanks, The Motley Fool) highlights Costco as a defensive/quality retail play with a recent valuation reset that some view as a buying opportunity — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Costco and 3 More Discount Retail Stocks Investors Should Watch Now Costco Stock (COST) Is Still a Great Buy after Valuation Reset
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/consumer items (new food‑court menu, expanded brand assortment) support traffic and membership retention but are incremental rather than market moving. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and tariff risks remain a concern per deeper analyses that argue external policy or import disruptions could still pressure margins or force SKU changes — a watch item for investors despite the recent court ruling. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: two class‑action suits over the $4.99 rotisserie chicken could create reputational noise and small legal costs; unlikely to be material to long‑term earnings but a near‑term headline risk. Costco’s $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing 2 Class-Action Lawsuits

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the business’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 in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $986.74 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $945.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $935.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $437.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.85, a PEG ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

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 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 firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. HSBC cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

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.