WJ Financial Advisors LLC Makes New $1.89 Million Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WJ Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 2,045 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,893,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.8% of WJ Financial Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target upgrades: Bernstein raised its target (to ~$1,155) and Evercore ISI lifted its target to $1,050, keeping upbeat ratings that support upside expectations. Bernstein Boosts COST Target
• Positive Sentiment: Europe expansion: Costco is piloting e‑commerce delivery in Europe, a meaningful new addressable market that could drive long‑term top‑line growth if scaled. Costco Tests European E Commerce Delivery
• Positive Sentiment: Membership & promotions: Ongoing member promotions (e.g., digital shop-card offers) and strong member perks sustain renewal rates and engagement. Get a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and growth narratives: Multiple Zacks pieces highlight Costco as a momentum/top‑growth stock, supporting investor sentiment around durable comp and digital trends. Here’s Why Costco is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears erroneous (reports show 0 shares / NaN changes and a 0.0 days-to-cover ratio); not meaningful as reported and unlikely to explain price moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate culture/dei: Fortune reports Costco maintained DEI programs while some peers cut back—this may support talent/brand but is not an immediate earnings driver. Costco defied Trump’s DEI directive
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer coverage pieces (both positive “in awe” stories and critiques of recent changes) reflect mixed consumer sentiment—useful for brand monitoring but limited near-term impact. 10 Costco Changes That Made Customers Angry
• Negative Sentiment: Product recall: A recall of mini beignets for undeclared hazelnuts affects operations and could create modest near‑term costs or reputational noise. Costco recalls mini beignets
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff/legal risk: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear challenges to former‑administration tariffs (Feb. 20); an adverse ruling or delayed refunds could hurt retailer margins or cash recoveries. President Trump’s Tariffs To Face Feb.20 Supreme Court Hearing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Gordon Haskett increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,009.00.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.0%

COST opened at $1,018.48 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $922.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $932.52. The company has a market cap of $452.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,077.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its 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. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% 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 Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.