First Bank & Trust Purchases 4,902 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 126.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,782 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,902 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.2% of First Bank & Trust’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. First Bank & Trust’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,573,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Gordon Haskett raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 over the last three months. Company 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: Costco’s new Kirkland energy drink is being positioned as a value private‑label offering that should drive incremental sales and hurt branded competitors — this is seen by markets as a low‑cost growth lever for Costco. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights strong member response to the Kirkland energy drink and frames the launch as another example of Costco using its private label to expand assortments and margins — a near‑term positive for top‑line and gross‑margin outlooks. Costco’s new energy drink delights fans, rattles competition
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note that Costco’s product expansion is putting pressure on smaller branded peers (e.g., Celsius), which markets interpreted as confirmation that Costco can capture share in higher‑growth categories. Celsius Stock Jolted After Costco Offers Energy-Drink Brand for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly positive: consensus price target implies material upside, but reports flag rising concerns about membership growth and valuation — a mixed signal for future returns. Analysts Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Despite Increasing Concerns Regarding Membership Growth Trends and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses on Costco’s gas‑pricing strategy emphasize it as a membership retention/acquisition tool that stabilizes traffic and revenue — supportive for recurring revenue and same‑store trends. Here’s Why Costco’s Gas Pricing Strategy Is Good News for Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Separate pieces call out valuation worries and include Costco on lists of overvalued names — a reminder that the stock’s premium multiple leaves it vulnerable to sentiment shifts if membership or comp trends slow. 5 Most Overvalued Companies According to the Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/legal flow: Bloomberg Law flags Costco as a target in consumer tariff‑refund actions — keep an eye on potential filings, though no immediate financial impact has been reported. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $974.86 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $985.83 and a 200-day moving average of $938.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.04%.

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.