PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co Boosts Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,500 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.2% of PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,347,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 46,559 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $46,091,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. GK Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. GK Wealth Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Private Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 8,003 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,922,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total value of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 10,446 shares of company stock valued at $9,549,528 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales/same-store strength — Costco reported strong December sales and accelerating comps (digital sales up sharply), a key driver for renewed investor buying and higher traffic/ticket trends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgrade — Mizuho moved COST to its top-picks list and upgraded the stock to Outperform with a higher price target (~$1,000), which supports buying interest from institutional and retail investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New card perk — A newly reported credit-card perk for Costco members could lift transaction volume and loyalty over time, supporting same-store sales and margins. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion visible on the ground — Local reports (e.g., Camarillo) show continued warehouse/gas station construction, underscoring ongoing footprint growth that supports membership and revenue expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and valuation — Consensus remains generally bullish (average target ~ $996) but the stock trades at a premium (P/E ~50), meaning upside depends on continued sales/margin strength rather than multiple expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term features — Several opinion pieces reiterate Costco’s long-term case (membership model, international expansion) but add no new near-term catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data glitch — A short-interest report flagged a “significant increase” but shows zero shares/days-to-cover, suggesting a data error rather than genuine short pressure; treat headlines cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (~$1.37M) on Jan. 9, cutting his stake by ~15.4%; while small relative to institutional ownership, insider sales can be perceived negatively by some traders. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $943.08 on Tuesday. 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 company has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a PE ratio of 50.51, a P/E/G ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $892.88 and its 200 day moving average is $930.80. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

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.