Aberdeen Group plc Reduces Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Aberdeen Group plc reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 356,098 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,975 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.5% of Aberdeen Group plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $307,078,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sam’s Club raised its membership fees, and analysts say that shift can push more price‑sensitive shoppers toward membership retailers like Costco — a potential tailwind for Costco’s traffic, membership revenue and pricing power. Sam’s Club membership fee hike
• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to deploy automated checkout stations that can speed transactions — a productivity/experience improvement that can reduce labor costs and shorten queues, supporting margins and member satisfaction. Automated checkout stations
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion: Costco confirmed a $37M New Braunfels store opening in May and is rolling out Business Centres and member-only gas stations in high fuel-cost markets — initiatives that extend revenue streams beyond groceries. New Braunfels opening Gas & Business Centre expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and insider signals: Telsey reaffirmed an Outperform on COST, and a top Costco executive recently executed a material share purchase — both lend credibility to the bull case and investor confidence. Telsey reaffirmation Insider buying
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive consumer coverage and product stories (bakery comparisons, top frozen foods, small appliances) keep brand visibility high but carry little immediate earnings impact. Bakery comparison Appliance roundup Frozen foods list
• Negative Sentiment: Retail price war: TheStreet reports grocery chains are cutting prices as competition intensifies — a trend that can squeeze margins if Costco is forced to run deeper promotions or match lower prices from non‑membership competitors. Grocery price war
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: Costco trades at a premium (high P/E and PEG), so strong operational news may already be priced in and leaves the stock vulnerable to disappointment or broader market rotations. (See published metrics and technical notes.)
• Negative Sentiment: Minor PR noise: Viral consumer stories (e.g., a pricey 10‑lb Easter bunny) can create short-term headlines but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Easter bunny coverage

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $989.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $940.21. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a PE ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.