Rathbones Group PLC Has $248.78 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Rathbones Group PLC decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 268,789 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,341 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.0% of Rathbones Group PLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $248,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,194,000. Vinva Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 18.5% in the third quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 33,989 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,163,000 after acquiring an additional 5,315 shares during the period. TPG Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 33.9% in the third quarter. TPG Financial Advisors LLC now owns 367 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Guardian Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the third quarter. Guardian Partners Inc. now owns 11,663 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,699,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cladis Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 10.5% during the third quarter. Cladis Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,613 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,419,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 double‑beat — Costco reported revenue of ~$69.6B and GAAP EPS of $4.58, with comp‑store strength and membership fee growth that underpin near‑term sales momentum. This is the main catalyst supporting the rally. Costco Wholesale beats quarterly comparable sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — several brokers (notably a large Street high by BMO cited in coverage) raised targets and reiterated outperform/overweight views, adding upward pressure. Costco Stock Scores New Street‑High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & balance‑sheet strength — commentary and notes on buybacks, a rising cash pile and the “special dividend” thesis are attracting income/return‑focused investors and support further upside. Costco Wholesale: Buy Now, Get Paid Later as Cash and Returns Build
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum — online sales growth (~22.6%) and rising membership income are cited on the call as durable drivers of mix and margins, supporting investor confidence. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — while many raised targets, a few (e.g., Goldman) trimmed targets even as they kept buy calls; that creates a mix of conviction levels among institutional holders. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Muted market reaction — despite the beat, some headlines note a tepid price move (and some pre‑market weakness) as investors weigh valuation metrics versus growth. That can lead to intraday volatility. Costco Stock Exhibits Muted Reaction Amid Double‑Beat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and “red flags” narrative — some outlets argue the stock is expensive (high P/E, PEG) and list risks that could cap upside; those narratives are pressuring more value‑sensitive investors. Is Costco Too Expensive? 3 Red Flags That Could Send Shares Sliding

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.10 on Friday. 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 fifty day moving average price is $961.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $935.74. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $443.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.37% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. 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 payout ratio is 27.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,035.35.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 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.