Slow Capital Inc. Has $15.37 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Slow Capital Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 17,826 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 555 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.8% of Slow Capital Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Slow Capital Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,372,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after purchasing an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $2,781,000. Finally, Curtis Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, 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. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,044.30.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raises quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), signaling strong cash flow and executive confidence; ex-dividend/record dates set and investors reacted favorably. Costco announces dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $1,100 and maintained an Outperform rating, giving an upside view that supports buying interest. Mizuho increases price target
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group and Wells Fargo have also lifted targets or reiterated positive views, underscoring steady execution and supporting momentum in the stock. Telsey and Wells Fargo raise targets
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion and product moves — a new store format planned for the west side of a major metroplex and exclusive product rollouts (e.g., Aussie Miracle Curls jumbo pack) highlight growth and differentiated merchandising. New store format for Metroplex
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and checks show Costco “selling a lot of gas,” which boosts transaction counts and basket sizes — but commentary notes a “catch” (durability/price sensitivity of gas-driven traffic) that makes the benefit uneven. Gas sales boost but with caveat
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note Costco’s Japan expansion and membership model as durable long-term positives, but these are longer-horizon drivers rather than immediate catalysts. Japan growth story
• Negative Sentiment: Local competition — reports that Sam’s Club and BJ’s are gaining traction in some markets — could pressure share gains in contested trade areas and is a watch item for market-share risk. Competitors gaining traction

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $987.21 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $437.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $995.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $944.13.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

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.