Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST is Bradyco Inc.’s 3rd Largest Position

Bradyco Inc. lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,819 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 660 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 8.2% of Bradyco Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Bradyco Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125 (from $1,115) and kept a Buy rating after Costco’s Q2 beat, citing strong membership income and traffic — a supportive signal for upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets/reporting services published higher price targets (including one noting a raise to $1,315), showing continued analyst bullishness and a range of upside scenarios priced in by some firms. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Tax/tariff news: a federal trade‑court ruling could generate tariff refunds that management says it may pass to members as lower prices — this would reinforce Costco’s value proposition and membership stickiness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: February comparable‑store sales were strong (Zacks cites comps up ~7.9%) and e‑commerce grew double digits, supporting the premium valuation on fundamental grounds. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa raised its target to $975 but kept a Neutral rating — a modestly positive PT move offset by a non‑bullish stance. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist nudged its target higher to $977 (from $926) but reiterated a Hold, noting membership growth remains a constraint — mixed signal for near‑term upside. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company expansion note: Costco is building another standalone gas station — incremental revenue/traffic detail that is likely modestly accretive over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide coverage pieces (Fool, Seeking Alpha) continue to debate valuation vs. peers (Walmart, Home Depot) — helpful context but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $1,088, which, along with comments about premium valuation, adds near‑term downside risk if growth disappoints. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/expectations: some analysts and writeups (Seeking Alpha coverage noted) view shares as fairly valued — combined with membership‑growth headwinds this can pressure the stock when sentiment weakens. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $997.36 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $967.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $935.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.86, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business 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 firm earned $4.02 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.