Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.

Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,761 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 603 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.4% of Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $46,061,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 2nd quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 657 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $645,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 12,404 shares of company stock worth $11,395,418 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.1%

NASDAQ COST opened at $964.26 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $428.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.65, a PEG ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $896.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $929.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.04 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Warehouse expansion and faster new‑store ramp-ups point to a durable growth runway and higher membership-driven sales over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Retail momentum: December sales came in stronger than expected, helping extend the recent rally and reinforcing resilient traffic and membership trends that support recurring revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Card incentives improved — reported boosts to gas rewards for co‑branded cardholders (notably at Costco pumps) could help member retention and in‑warehouse spend. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary reiterates Costco’s long‑term durability (member loyalty, steady comps) but flags a high valuation and moderate growth that may limit near‑term upside from current levels — useful for entry/position sizing decisions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/merchandising note: Costco is switching its food‑court beverage supplier back to Coca‑Cola after a decade with Pepsi — largely a partnership/brand shift with limited immediate financial impact. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares at about $955 (a small reduction, ~5.1% of her holding). While not large, insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors as timing/valuation signaling. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive risk: coverage notes a major grocery rival expanding aggressively — increased local competition could pressure market share or margins in affected regions over time. Read More.

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.