Bristol John W & Co. Inc. NY Lowers Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Bristol John W & Co. Inc. NY lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 109,395 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,624 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.6% of Bristol John W & Co. Inc. NY’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Bristol John W & Co. Inc. NY’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $101,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Bank lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 5,846 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,787,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results and commentary showed continued momentum — revenue and EPS beat estimates, management cited membership/traffic gains and price management that supported sales. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is lifting sentiment — BMO and other shops have raised targets or reiterated Outperform/Buy ratings after the quarter, helping offset headline risk. BMO Sees Costco as Stable Bet
• Positive Sentiment: Operational tailwinds: new warehouse openings, expanded in‑warehouse experiences and viral product drops (e.g., Off‑White hoodies) are driving foot traffic and membership engagement. Off‑White Hoodies Spark Frenzy Liberty Hill Costco Opening
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa and other firms tweaked targets (some higher) while keeping conservative ratings in some cases — a modest vote of confidence but not uniformly bullish. Daiwa Adjusts Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider activity: an EVP disclosed the sale of ~730 shares — small relative to Costco’s market cap and unlikely to drive the move on its own. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: a proposed nationwide class action alleges Costco must pass along tariff refunds to customers after the Supreme Court voided certain Trump‑era tariffs — plaintiffs seek broad relief and this creates uncertainty over potential liabilities, refunds, and reputational risk. Reuters: Costco customers sue MSN: Costco Sued Over Tariffs
• Negative Sentiment: Negative framing in some outlets suggests the suits could pressure Costco’s low‑margin model if rulings force refunds or changes to pricing practices; outcome and exposure remain uncertain and litigation could be a headline risk. 24/7 Wall St: Profit Model Threatened
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/commodity risks (Gulf tensions, oil spike) could weigh on consumer sentiment and fuel costs — a potential headwind for retailers if sustained. Heard on the Street: Gulf Worries

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 transaction, 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. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,003.23 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $972.44 and a 200 day moving average of $936.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $445.30 billion, a PE ratio of 52.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results 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. 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 analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on COST. Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.