Rempart Asset Management Inc. Trims Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Rempart Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,249 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 568 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 5.5% of Rempart Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Rempart Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $29,851,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bulwark Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.0%

NASDAQ COST opened at $943.08 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $892.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $930.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.51, a PEG ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. 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 analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales/same-store strength — Costco reported strong December sales and accelerating comps (digital sales up sharply), a key driver for renewed investor buying and higher traffic/ticket trends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgrade — Mizuho moved COST to its top-picks list and upgraded the stock to Outperform with a higher price target (~$1,000), which supports buying interest from institutional and retail investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New card perk — A newly reported credit-card perk for Costco members could lift transaction volume and loyalty over time, supporting same-store sales and margins. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion visible on the ground — Local reports (e.g., Camarillo) show continued warehouse/gas station construction, underscoring ongoing footprint growth that supports membership and revenue expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and valuation — Consensus remains generally bullish (average target ~ $996) but the stock trades at a premium (P/E ~50), meaning upside depends on continued sales/margin strength rather than multiple expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term features — Several opinion pieces reiterate Costco’s long-term case (membership model, international expansion) but add no new near-term catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data glitch — A short-interest report flagged a “significant increase” but shows zero shares/days-to-cover, suggesting a data error rather than genuine short pressure; treat headlines cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (~$1.37M) on Jan. 9, cutting his stake by ~15.4%; while small relative to institutional ownership, insider sales can be perceived negatively by some traders. Read More.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,446 shares of company stock valued at $9,549,528. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 26th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $996.00.

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.