Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. Buys New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 5,355 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,957,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after buying an additional 7,116 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and momentum: COST reported stronger-than-expected quarterly sales, rising membership and growing e‑commerce that signal continued top-line strength and traffic gains. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support/price-target upgrades: Several firms have lifted targets (BMO notably raised its target), which can buoy sentiment and buying interest following the quarter. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational tailwinds: New warehouse openings, in‑warehouse initiatives and strong product drops (e.g., limited apparel releases) are helping traffic and member engagement—supporting recurring membership income. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: An EVP sold ~730 shares (small in absolute terms relative to Costco’s market cap) — routine disclosure but not a clear directional signal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Split/speculation and premium valuation: Ongoing conversation about a potential stock split and Costco’s premium valuation (high P/E) can attract retail interest but also encourages debate over buying at current levels. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund class-action(s): Multiple filings allege Costco must pass along any tariff refunds to customers after a Supreme Court ruling voided certain tariffs—plaintiffs seek class status and refunds, creating litigation risk, potential repayment exposure and reputational noise. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/PR amplification: Coverage framing the suits as a threat to margins has heightened headline risk; outcome and any liability remain uncertain but could pressure sentiment until resolved. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risk: Geopolitical developments that push oil higher and widen retail costs (shipping, gas) could weigh on margins and discretionary traffic if sustained. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. HSBC reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST traded up $8.08 on Friday, reaching $1,011.40. The stock had a trading volume of 248,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,360,464. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $448.93 billion, a PE ratio of 52.60, a PEG ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $972.44 and a 200 day moving average of $936.70. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.