Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Howard Capital Management Group LLC

Howard Capital Management Group LLC cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 55,212 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,427 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 3.0% of Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $47,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was 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. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Costco, supporting buy-side conviction. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating for Costco Wholesale
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: EVP Caton Frates made a high-value purchase of company shares — a signal of management confidence. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move With Company Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is rolling out member-only gas stations in high fuel-cost markets and opened its first Manitoba Business Centre — moves that reinforce its value proposition for both consumers and businesses. Will Costco’s (COST) Gas and Business Centre Push Refine Its Value-Driven Retail Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Competitor action may help Costco: Sam’s Club is raising membership fees, which analysts say could drive price-sensitive shoppers to Costco’s value offering. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees. Analysts suggest Costco and BJ’s could be next.
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed throughput — could cut labor costs and improve shopping experience but timing and scale are unclear. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations that can process orders in seconds
• Neutral Sentiment: New store opening: A long-awaited $37M Costco in New Braunfels is set to open in May — adds sales capacity but is a localized benefit. Long-awaited $37M Costco sets May opening in the Hill Country
• Neutral Sentiment: Technicals: Traders note COST trading above key moving averages with a bullish MACD and approaching resistance levels — supports near-term momentum but not a fundamental change. What’s Going On With Costco Stock Thursday?
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure risk: A broader value-price war in grocery retail (grocery chains cutting prices) could compress margins for all players, including Costco, if it must match competitors. Grocery chain cuts prices as value war heats up
• Negative Sentiment: Isolated PR hit: Social coverage criticizing a $140, 10‑lb Easter bunny and viral “smash it apart” instructions created some negative consumer chatter about pricing and presentation. Costco’s $140, 10-pound Easter bunny has shoppers questioning price and instructions to smash it apart

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, HSBC dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a PE ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50 day moving average of $989.05 and a 200-day moving average of $940.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current 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 given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

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.