Spirit of America Management Corp NY Cuts Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Spirit of America Management Corp NY lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,706 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,050 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.0% of Spirit of America Management Corp NY’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Spirit of America Management Corp NY’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,921,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Faster checkout tests could boost throughput and member satisfaction — Costco is rolling out automated pay stations and a new checkout technology that cuts payment times to ~8–10 seconds, which can raise store capacity and lower labor friction. Costco’s new checkout technology cuts payment time down to 8 seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Private‑label Kirkland energy drinks launch — Costco introduced Kirkland sparkling energy drinks at lower price points, a move that can lift category sales, margin mix and pressuring branded rivals (which has already moved peer stocks). Costco Kirkland Energy Drinks Spark Competition And Raise Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive warehouse expansion planned — Management plans ~28 new warehouses in FY26 and intends to add ~30+ annually, supporting membership growth, same-store traffic and long-term revenue capacity. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Canada business‑centre expansion supports B2B growth — Rolling out Business Centres across Canada broadens wholesale/B2B exposure, which can improve order size and commercial membership traction. Costco Expands Business Centres Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive chart/analyst attention — IBD named Costco a Stock of the Day and some articles highlight long-term investor appeal; this technical/coverage spotlight can attract momentum flows but doesn’t change fundamentals overnight. Costco, IBD’s Stock Of The Day, Rallies This Year As Markets Fall
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer tip articles on saving at the pump — Coverage on how members save on gas at Costco is informational and supports the value proposition, but is unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Saving on gas at Costco and Sam’s Club in Phoenix is easy. Here’s how
• Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit alleging price increases then tariff refunds — A suit claims Costco raised prices and sought tariff refunds from the government; litigation risk could bring reputational, regulatory and potential financial costs if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds from government
• Negative Sentiment: Rising gas prices and broader consumer pressure — Higher pump prices and worries about consumer spending are cited as recession risks; while Costco benefits from gas sales, sustained higher gas could dent discretionary spending and membership renewal behavior over time. Higher gas prices could spell recession risks to some US consumers
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from large peers — Analysts note Walmart’s e‑commerce and omnichannel scale could pressure Costco’s growth/market share in some categories, an important competitive consideration for margin and long‑term share gains. The Zacks Analyst Blog Walmart and Costco

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. 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 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market cap of $442.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $987.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $939.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. 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%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on COST. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target for the company. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued 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 a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.