Retirement Systems of Alabama Boosts Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 162,443 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,942 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $140,081,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target for the company. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Faster checkout tests could boost throughput and member satisfaction — Costco is rolling out automated pay stations and a new checkout technology that cuts payment times to ~8–10 seconds, which can raise store capacity and lower labor friction. Costco’s new checkout technology cuts payment time down to 8 seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Private‑label Kirkland energy drinks launch — Costco introduced Kirkland sparkling energy drinks at lower price points, a move that can lift category sales, margin mix and pressuring branded rivals (which has already moved peer stocks). Costco Kirkland Energy Drinks Spark Competition And Raise Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive warehouse expansion planned — Management plans ~28 new warehouses in FY26 and intends to add ~30+ annually, supporting membership growth, same-store traffic and long-term revenue capacity. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Canada business‑centre expansion supports B2B growth — Rolling out Business Centres across Canada broadens wholesale/B2B exposure, which can improve order size and commercial membership traction. Costco Expands Business Centres Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive chart/analyst attention — IBD named Costco a Stock of the Day and some articles highlight long-term investor appeal; this technical/coverage spotlight can attract momentum flows but doesn’t change fundamentals overnight. Costco, IBD’s Stock Of The Day, Rallies This Year As Markets Fall
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer tip articles on saving at the pump — Coverage on how members save on gas at Costco is informational and supports the value proposition, but is unlikely to move fundamentals immediately. Saving on gas at Costco and Sam’s Club in Phoenix is easy. Here’s how
• Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit alleging price increases then tariff refunds — A suit claims Costco raised prices and sought tariff refunds from the government; litigation risk could bring reputational, regulatory and potential financial costs if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds from government
• Negative Sentiment: Rising gas prices and broader consumer pressure — Higher pump prices and worries about consumer spending are cited as recession risks; while Costco benefits from gas sales, sustained higher gas could dent discretionary spending and membership renewal behavior over time. Higher gas prices could spell recession risks to some US consumers
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from large peers — Analysts note Walmart’s e‑commerce and omnichannel scale could pressure Costco’s growth/market share in some categories, an important competitive consideration for margin and long‑term share gains. The Zacks Analyst Blog Walmart and Costco

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $987.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $939.08. The firm has a market cap of $442.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.82, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00. 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 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.