Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by STF Management LP

STF Management LP lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 64.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,361 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,271 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.9% of STF Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. STF Management LP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 182.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $462,265,000 after acquiring an additional 346,208 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after acquiring an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $213,362,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened a long-awaited warehouse in New Braunfels, Texas, adding to its store base and reinforcing investor confidence in continued unit growth and market expansion. Long-awaited Costco Wholesale now open in New Braunfels
• Positive Sentiment: Another report confirmed the New Braunfels store is now open for business, underscoring Costco’s ongoing rollout of new locations that can support membership and revenue growth. Costco Wholesale now open for business in New Braunfels
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to favor Costco’s membership-driven model, saying it benefits from resilient grocery demand and supports steady growth even in a volatile retail backdrop. WMT or COST: Which Retail Giant Looks More Attractive Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s purchase of a 55-acre property in Florida suggests the company is still investing in significant long-term store growth, which investors typically view as a sign of confidence in future demand. Costco Just Signed Off on a Massive Retail Real Estate Deal in Florida. Here’s What Investors Need to Know About Costco’s Store Growth Goals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles debating whether Costco is still a good buy after its multi-year rally mostly reinforce that the stock remains a quality business but is expensive, making the reaction more about valuation than any new fundamental change. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Multi Year Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on Costco’s food court chicken tender launch is generating consumer buzz, but the main takeaway is mixed, with some concerns about whether it replaces a favorite item rather than clearly boosting the investment outlook. Costco food court chicken tender launch sparks concerns over item replacement
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent commentary flags Costco’s premium valuation and argues the stock may be difficult to justify at current levels, which can temper enthusiasm despite strong fundamentals. Costco: Strong Fundamentals Meet Growth Premium – A Hold Entering FQ3’26
• Negative Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece argues there is a reason to sell Costco beyond valuation, adding to the cautious tone around the stock’s elevated price level. Costco: Another Reason To Sell (Besides The Valuation)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,192.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,047.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of COST opened at $1,048.95 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,000.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $955.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $465.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.55, a PEG ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

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.