Lyell Wealth Management LP Raises Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Lyell Wealth Management LP raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,933 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 2.0% of Lyell Wealth Management LP’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Lyell Wealth Management LP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $26,781,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. G2 Capital Management LLC OH increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 29.0% during the 3rd quarter. G2 Capital Management LLC OH now owns 436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $404,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. Rothschild Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 27.3% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Capital Partners LLC now owns 700 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $648,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Acorn Creek Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC now owns 528 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $489,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Lafayette Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the third quarter. Lafayette Investments Inc. now owns 6,068 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,617,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, GFS Advisors LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.1% during the third quarter. GFS Advisors LLC now owns 948 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $877,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrades: Bernstein raised its target (to ~$1,155) and Evercore ISI lifted its target to $1,050, keeping upbeat ratings that support upside expectations. Bernstein Boosts COST Target
• Positive Sentiment: Europe expansion: Costco is piloting e‑commerce delivery in Europe, a meaningful new addressable market that could drive long‑term top‑line growth if scaled. Costco Tests European E Commerce Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Membership & promotions: Ongoing member promotions (e.g., digital shop-card offers) and strong member perks sustain renewal rates and engagement. Get a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and growth narratives: Multiple Zacks pieces highlight Costco as a momentum/top‑growth stock, supporting investor sentiment around durable comp and digital trends. Here’s Why Costco is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears erroneous (reports show 0 shares / NaN changes and a 0.0 days-to-cover ratio); not meaningful as reported and unlikely to explain price moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate culture/dei: Fortune reports Costco maintained DEI programs while some peers cut back—this may support talent/brand but is not an immediate earnings driver. Costco defied Trump’s DEI directive
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer coverage pieces (both positive “in awe” stories and critiques of recent changes) reflect mixed consumer sentiment—useful for brand monitoring but limited near-term impact. 10 Costco Changes That Made Customers Angry
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall: A recall of mini beignets for undeclared hazelnuts affects operations and could create modest near‑term costs or reputational noise. Costco recalls mini beignets
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff/legal risk: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear challenges to former‑administration tariffs (Feb. 20); an adverse ruling or delayed refunds could hurt retailer margins or cash recoveries. President Trump’s Tariffs To Face Feb.20 Supreme Court Hearing

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.0%

COST opened at $1,018.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,077.49. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $922.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $932.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $452.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a PEG ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.