Howard Capital Management Group LLC Sells 1,427 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Howard Capital Management Group LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,212 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,427 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 3.0% of Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Howard Capital Management Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $47,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after buying an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $2,781,000. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.9% in the second quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 18,132 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $17,950,000 after acquiring an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.78, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $989.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $940.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Costco, supporting buy-side conviction. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating for Costco Wholesale
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying: EVP Caton Frates made a high-value purchase of company shares — a signal of management confidence. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move With Company Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is rolling out member-only gas stations in high fuel-cost markets and opened its first Manitoba Business Centre — moves that reinforce its value proposition for both consumers and businesses. Will Costco’s (COST) Gas and Business Centre Push Refine Its Value-Driven Retail Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Competitor action may help Costco: Sam’s Club is raising membership fees, which analysts say could drive price-sensitive shoppers to Costco’s value offering. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees. Analysts suggest Costco and BJ’s could be next.
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed throughput — could cut labor costs and improve shopping experience but timing and scale are unclear. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations that can process orders in seconds
• Neutral Sentiment: New store opening: A long-awaited $37M Costco in New Braunfels is set to open in May — adds sales capacity but is a localized benefit. Long-awaited $37M Costco sets May opening in the Hill Country
• Neutral Sentiment: Technicals: Traders note COST trading above key moving averages with a bullish MACD and approaching resistance levels — supports near-term momentum but not a fundamental change. What’s Going On With Costco Stock Thursday?
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure risk: A broader value-price war in grocery retail (grocery chains cutting prices) could compress margins for all players, including Costco, if it must match competitors. Grocery chain cuts prices as value war heats up
• Negative Sentiment: Isolated PR hit: Social coverage criticizing a $140, 10‑lb Easter bunny and viral “smash it apart” instructions created some negative consumer chatter about pricing and presentation. Costco’s $140, 10-pound Easter bunny has shoppers questioning price and instructions to smash it apart

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several research reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

About Costco Wholesale

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.