Legal & General Group Plc Sells 46,918 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Legal & General Group Plc trimmed its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,540,548 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 46,918 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.5% of Legal & General Group Plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.57% of Costco Wholesale worth $2,351,607,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Vestcor Inc increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.9% in the third quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 20,667 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,159 shares in the last quarter. Fieldview Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $5,581,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 90.4% during the 3rd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 8,930 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,266,000 after buying an additional 4,241 shares in the last quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 56.3% in the 3rd quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. now owns 555 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $509,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LGT Group Foundation boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. LGT Group Foundation now owns 3,188 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,924,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Federal trade‑court tariff ruling could produce refunds that management says would be passed through to members as lower prices — a direct boost to Costco’s value proposition and membership retention. Costco Tariff Refunds Could Reinforce Low Prices And Membership Value
• Positive Sentiment: Retail spending trends favor warehouse clubs as budget‑conscious shoppers shift to value retailers — ETF coverage pieces highlight Costco as a beneficiary of this trend. 3 ETFs That Could Benefit as Consumers Tighten Their Budgets
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: February comps up ~7.9% and e‑commerce +21.8%, extending sales strength that supports Costco’s premium multiple. Do Costco’s February Comparable Sales Justify Its Premium Valuation?
• Positive Sentiment: Store and service expansion: reports of a new standalone gas station and continued local store wins (e.g., Port St. Lucie) support comp growth and member convenience. Costco building another standalone gas station
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity is mixed but active — several outlets raised price targets (range of increases reported), while Citi and DA Davidson remain neutral; these moves create both headline support and valuation debate. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $1,315.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Investment write‑ups from Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and Zacks continue to debate valuation vs. growth — coverage keeps Costco in investors’ screens but yields mixed buy/hold conclusions. 3 Things to Know About Costco Stock Before You Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure and industry moves — BJ’s and other clubs are making aggressive plays to attract budget shoppers, which could pressure share gains or margins in specific markets. BJ’s Wholesale makes bold move to lure more shoppers
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell‑side movement is cautionary: Goldman Sachs cut its price target (to $1,088) even as others raised theirs — a reminder that valuation (P/E >50) is a focal risk for investors. The Goldman Sachs Group Cuts Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target to $1,088.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data are effectively meaningless/no change this cycle, so short pressure is not a driver today. (Data entry shows 0 shares / 0 days to cover.)

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $1,005.30 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market cap of $446.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is $964.39 and its 200-day moving average is $935.57.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Gordon Haskett raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-two equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,037.20.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.