Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Trimmed by Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc

Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc trimmed its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 20.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,063 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 797 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.2% of Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Armstrong Fleming & Moore Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,642,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,700,000 after purchasing an additional 7,116 shares during the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,781,000. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.9% during the second quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 18,132 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $17,950,000 after buying an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on COST. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer boosted 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 report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $989.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $940.21. The company has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share 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 return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Key Stories Impacting 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

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.