Westerkirk Capital Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Westerkirk Capital Inc. lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,978 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,219 shares during the quarter. Westerkirk Capital Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,608,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $987,000. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 35.0% during the 3rd quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 397 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $367,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,494 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,193,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 35.3% in the 3rd quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 4,600 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,258,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heartland Bank & Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 1,486 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,375,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $985.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $934.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $934.47. The stock has a market cap of $437.33 billion, a PE ratio of 52.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on COST. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,008.07.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by 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.