Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc Sells 570 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 52.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 516 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 570 shares during the period. Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $445,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s new Kirkland energy drink is being positioned as a value private‑label offering that should drive incremental sales and hurt branded competitors — this is seen by markets as a low‑cost growth lever for Costco. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights strong member response to the Kirkland energy drink and frames the launch as another example of Costco using its private label to expand assortments and margins — a near‑term positive for top‑line and gross‑margin outlooks. Costco’s new energy drink delights fans, rattles competition
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note that Costco’s product expansion is putting pressure on smaller branded peers (e.g., Celsius), which markets interpreted as confirmation that Costco can capture share in higher‑growth categories. Celsius Stock Jolted After Costco Offers Energy-Drink Brand for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly positive: consensus price target implies material upside, but reports flag rising concerns about membership growth and valuation — a mixed signal for future returns. Analysts Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Despite Increasing Concerns Regarding Membership Growth Trends and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses on Costco’s gas‑pricing strategy emphasize it as a membership retention/acquisition tool that stabilizes traffic and revenue — supportive for recurring revenue and same‑store trends. Here’s Why Costco’s Gas Pricing Strategy Is Good News for Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Separate pieces call out valuation worries and include Costco on lists of overvalued names — a reminder that the stock’s premium multiple leaves it vulnerable to sentiment shifts if membership or comp trends slow. 5 Most Overvalued Companies According to the Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/legal flow: Bloomberg Law flags Costco as a target in consumer tariff‑refund actions — keep an eye on potential filings, though no immediate financial impact has been reported. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $974.86 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $985.83 and a 200 day moving average of $938.89. The stock has a market cap of $432.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.69, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. 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 Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

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.