Private Advisory Group LLC Sells 7,536 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Private Advisory Group LLC cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,647 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,536 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.6% of Private Advisory Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Private Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $20,037,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Arbor Trust Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.6% in the third quarter. Arbor Trust Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,521 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,185,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Aries Wealth Management grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Aries Wealth Management now owns 3,768 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,488,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.9% in the 3rd quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,894 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,679,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Concentrum Wealth Management increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 18.2% in the third quarter. Concentrum Wealth Management now owns 1,177 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,090,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.6% during the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 808 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $748,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed‑on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell‑side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short‑term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety litigation: a class‑action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near‑term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $985.27 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $934.56 and a 200 day moving average of $934.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $437.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for 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%.The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,008.07.

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.