Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC Grows Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 31.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,842 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,247,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC increased 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 last quarter. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Gordon Haskett dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $964.26 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $428.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $896.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $929.57. 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The business 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%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 12,404 shares of company stock worth $11,395,418. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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 signal durable growth runway and better utilization of sites, supporting long-term sales and membership gains. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Strategy Fuels Long-Term Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sales momentum: December sales came in strong and helped extend a recent rally — reinforces resilient traffic and membership trends that drive recurring revenue. Costco Stock Rallies on December Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Card benefits improved: Costco has quietly boosted gas rewards for co-branded cardholders (to 5% at Costco pumps), a member incentive likely to help retention and spend. Costco quietly boosts gas rewards for branded credit card holders
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/visitor pieces highlight Costco as a durable long-term holding (strong member loyalty, steady comps) but flag a high valuation and moderate growth that may limit near-term upside from current levels. Useful for long-term investors evaluating entry price. Is Costco Stock a Long-Term Buy for Everyday Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/supplier shift: Costco is switching its food-court beverage supplier back to Coca‑Cola after a decade with Pepsi — a merchandising/partnership change with limited near-term financial impact but some margin/brand implications. Costco Switches Food Court Back to Coke After Decade With Pepsi
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares (~$955 avg), reducing her stake — a small disclosed sale that some investors view negatively as timing/insight into valuation. Susan L. Decker Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: Coverage notes a large grocery rival launching an expansion push — increased competition could pressure share gains or margins in some markets over time. Huge Costco grocery rival launches expansion plans

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.