Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 66.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,460 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,937 shares during the period. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Bank boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,787,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and retail commentators point to ongoing outperformance driven by membership strength and customers trading down in a pressured economy — executive membership upgrades are boosting revenues and margins. Where Will Costco Stock Be in 1 Year?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s tech push — AI inventory tools, digital wallet and faster checkout — is showing productivity gains that can protect low prices and margins, reinforcing the growth narrative. Is Costco’s Technology Spending Finally Fueling Better Productivity?
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and large real‑estate wins (new openings and anchoring the Viva White Oak development) support longer‑term same‑store traffic and membership growth. Costco To Anchor Massive Montgomery County Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings (March 5) are the immediate catalyst — investors are weighing Costco’s streak of beats against rich expectations; this creates short‑term volatility depending on the print and guidance. Costco (COST) Reports Q1: Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing favorable analyst coverage and momentum/ growth score stories keep investor interest high, but they also reinforce expectations that are already priced in. 3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Costco (COST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent short‑interest data in public feeds appears inconsistent (zeros/NaN), suggesting no meaningful short squeeze signal — treat those data points cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns are prominent — some analyses argue COST is expensive near the $1,000 level (high P/E vs. retail peers), prompting sell/trim arguments that can cap upside. Sell Costco Stock At $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Customer friction from confusing return‑policy reports could modestly dent sentiment if amplified, though it’s unlikely to materially affect fundamentals. Costco members confused over return policy rule

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Gordon Haskett lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of 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. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,016.18.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,007.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $447.32 billion, a PE ratio of 53.98, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $954.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $935.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect 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. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

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.