OneAscent Financial Services LLC Reduces Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

OneAscent Financial Services LLC trimmed its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 81.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 787 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,424 shares during the period. OneAscent Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $729,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Bulwark Capital Corp purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 900.0% in the 1st quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.5%

NASDAQ COST opened at $875.74 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $893.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $933.62. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $388.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.02.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at $6,410,343.68. The trade was a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Finally, HSBC lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $994.08.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and talk of a possible special dividend lifted sentiment; upgrades typically support near-term buying interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recommended as a long-term growth hold (20-year thesis) by The Motley Fool, reinforcing buy-and-hold narratives that can support valuation over time. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight Costco’s digital ecosystem (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) as a growing driver of member engagement and sales, which supports revenue diversification and margin upside longer term. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting new store openings and consumer interest (e.g., Roseville store schedule, shopping features) is operationally positive but likely low-impact on immediate stock moves. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and TV coverage (Jim Cramer) are keeping the name in focus; useful for flows but not a decisive fundamental change. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces warn about sluggish sales and membership growth and say valuation remains hard to justify — these concerns can limit upside until growth reaccelerates. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks’ more pessimistic note on Q2 earnings expectations highlights downside risk to near-term estimates and could pressure the stock if guidance or results disappoint. Article Title

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.