Retirement Guys Formula LLC Trims Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Retirement Guys Formula LLC lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 38.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,833 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,154 shares during the period. Retirement Guys Formula LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,697,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Birchbrook Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 456 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Ridgewood Investments LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $326,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Busey Bank grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on COST shares. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $992.08.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company continuing to execute on digital and in‑store traffic strength, which supports membership revenue and resilience in a tougher consumer environment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is advancing real estate and growth plans — regulators/announcements show steps to open two new Ontario locations, which supports long‑term unit growth and membership expansion. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market mentions (including being cited as a potential stock‑split candidate) can attract retail attention and short‑term buying interest if expectations build. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Practical consumer pieces — holiday hours and store opening coverage — are visible but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/new‑arrivals coverage that can help traffic but is not a driver of the stock on its own. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Retrospectives highlighting strong long‑term returns remind investors of Costco’s track record but also note it currently trades at a premium — useful context, not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: EVP Javier Polit sold multiple blocks of shares (~2,600 shares across late‑December filings), which has been reported in SEC filings and media — such sales can pressure sentiment because they are often read as executives taking gains. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains elevated (P/E ≈ 46) relative to expected slower near‑term earnings growth; this limits upside and makes the stock sensitive to any growth miss. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Isolated supply‑chain/shrink incidents (reported cargo/theft losses tied to product destined for Costco) are small but a reminder of operational risks that can incrementally pressure margins or investor sentiment. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of COST opened at $862.34 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $896.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $935.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market cap of $382.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. The trade was a 28.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock valued at $8,175,048 over the last three months. 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.