Sunbelt Securities Inc. Sells 1,366 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Sunbelt Securities Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,591 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,366 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,176,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Aldebaran Financial Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 37.3% during the third quarter. Aldebaran Financial Inc. now owns 350 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $18,842,000. GM Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,275 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,883,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC now owns 15,709 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,541,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 127.3% in the 3rd quarter. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,366 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,265,000 after purchasing an additional 765 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $996.16 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $441.95 billion, a PE ratio of 51.80, a P/E/G ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $980.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $937.82. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for 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%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says shoppers remain willing to spend at Costco and its fuel business is resilient; commentary that Costco moderates gas margin changes supports steady traffic and membership value, a bullish signal for near-term same-store sales. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature continues to expand (new products from wings to salmon and ongoing brand-strength coverage), reinforcing private-label margins and member loyalty — a structural moat that supports higher-margin sales over time. Costco adds new Kirkland Signature products
• Positive Sentiment: New checkout technology pilots could speed throughput and reduce labor/friction costs if rolled out broadly, improving store economics and customer experience. Costco’s New Checkout Tech
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing local expansion talks (Asheville, NC), which could support long-term growth but have limited immediate earnings impact. Is Asheville Costco still possible?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has issued recalls and public warnings for prepared meatloaf/meal kits over potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states; recalls can drive short-term costs, refunds, regulatory scrutiny and pressure foot traffic for affected categories. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores
• Negative Sentiment: Broad media and health-department alerts (Hawaii, multiple states) amplified the recall story, increasing reputational risk and the chance of localized sales softness in deli/ready-to-eat categories. Costco warns shoppers after salmonella contamination

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

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.