Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC Has $2.64 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 38.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,060 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,889 shares during the quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,639,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $989.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $940.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm 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 Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

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.