Intech Investment Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Intech Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 41,398 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,636 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $38,319,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted 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 purchasing an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $994.76 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $441.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $942.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $934.83.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid 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 payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Hovde Group started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco rolled out a new food-court menu item (double chocolate mint sundae / mint chocolate sundae) that has drawn strong shopper interest and social-media buzz—small-margin, high-traffic initiatives that can boost in-store visits and membership renewals. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes Costco is adding more big brands and lowering prices on some items—reinforcing its value proposition and traffic-driving “treasure hunt” model that supports membership growth and same-store sales. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target for COST to $1,000 (from $990) while keeping a Neutral rating — a modest analyst upgrade that reflects recent same-store sales/earnings beats and supports the stock’s near-term valuation floor. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues expansion: a new warehouse is slated to open in Lawrence later this year, supporting long-term sales growth and membership penetration in that market. New Costco store set to open in Lawrence later this year
• Positive Sentiment: Product assortment expansion—Costco widened distribution of Levels Whey Protein across several regions—helping its health/wellness assortment and appealing to higher-margin grocery categories. Costco Expands Levels Whey Protein As Valuation And Membership Story Evolves
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context: consumer staples and defensive funds have outperformed recently, which can support Costco as a defensive retail play but may already be priced into shares. Consumer Staples Are Up Almost 20% While the S&P 500 Struggles. Retirees Are Paying Attention.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest report shows no meaningful change (reported 0 shares), so short activity is not driving today’s move.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: Costco is facing multiple class‑action lawsuits tied to its $4.99 rotisserie chicken pricing—potential reputational/legal expense risk that can pressure sentiment and media attention. Costco faces yet another lawsuit over its rotisserie chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/strategy worries: pieces flag macro/tariff risks and argue Costco’s valuation is rich — issues that can cap upside in a risk‑off market. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique: commentary labeling Costco a “fantastic company” but questioning its current valuation can prompt profit‑taking among investors who see limited upside from here. Costco: Fantastic Company, Unreasonable Valuation

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% 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 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.