Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Trimmed by CENTRAL TRUST Co

CENTRAL TRUST Co decreased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 20,306 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 824 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,796,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the period. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.86 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $920.48 and its 200-day moving average is $931.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $443.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.50, a P/E/G ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on COST. HSBC cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets or reiterated bullish views, supporting the rally — Evercore ISI boosted its price target to $1,050. Evercore ISI Boosts Costco Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein lifted its target to $1,155 and kept an Outperform, citing resilience in the quarter and positioning COST as a Roth-IRA candidate — a bullish endorsement that can attract long-term money. Bernstein Boosts Costco Target
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan commentary flagged upside to the stock, reinforcing buy-side confidence and likely contributing to intraday buying pressure. JPMorgan Says COST Expected to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Industry and market write-ups emphasize Costco’s long-term growth profile and YTD momentum, which can sustain investor interest (articles discuss whether COST can reach $1,200 and highlight growth scores). Can Costco Stock Hit $1,200?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate persists — Zacks notes Costco trades at a high multiple (forward P/E ~46x) and recommends a “hold” for some investors despite solid comps and renewal/digital trends. This tempers upside for value-sensitive funds. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports in the feed show an anomalous “large increase” but list zero shares and a 0.0 days ratio — the data appears unreliable and should not be over-interpreted; low reported short interest would be supportive if accurate. (Data timestamp Feb 11–12.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer-interest pieces (e.g., members impressed by regional store features) boost brand sentiment but are unlikely to move results materially in the short term. Members in Awe of Regional Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued a recall of mini beignets over an undeclared hazelnut allergen across multiple states — a reputational and operational nuisance; typically a modest financial hit but worth monitoring for broader food-safety headlines. Costco Recalls Mini Beignets

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last ninety days. Company 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.