Wealth Advisors of Tampa Bay LLC Takes $1.47 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Wealth Advisors of Tampa Bay LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 1,590 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,472,000.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron’s: Tariff refunds are getting messy

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on 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. Twenty-two equities 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of COST opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The business has a 50-day moving average of $975.52 and a 200 day moving average of $937.17. The firm has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors 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 presently 27.04%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president 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 the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 in the last ninety days. 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.