Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Middleton & Co. Inc. MA

Middleton & Co. Inc. MA lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 24,508 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 636 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.5% of Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $22,685,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Peterson Wealth Services grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $874,000. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $964.26 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization 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 company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $896.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $929.57. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,404 shares of company stock worth $11,395,418. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company 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.