Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Smartleaf Asset Management LLC

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 22.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,335 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,330 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,725,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.2%

COST opened at $1,001.16 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.38 billion, a PE ratio of 53.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.98 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $914.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $930.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. HSBC reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. BTIG Research began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,006.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s January sales report showed solid comp growth and digital strength, which traders have credited for recent upside in COST. Costco Stock Rallies On Strong January Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $1,100 and kept an Outperform rating — a bullish signal that increases upside expectations from Wall Street. Oppenheimer adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its target (to $1,065) and kept an Outperform rating, citing rebounding membership trends — supportive for longer-term revenue and renewal visibility. Mizuho Raises Costco Target as Membership Trends Rebound
• Positive Sentiment: Macro flows: BofA flagged record inflows into consumer staples amid a tech selloff, helping defensive retailers like Costco attract demand. Walmart, Costco, XLP Surge As BofA Flags Record Inflows
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and membership initiatives (Cam arillo opening timeline; moves to fix membership issues) support continued sales growth and member retention. Costco Camarillo gets opening timeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Wells Fargo raised its PT to $950 but keeps an Equal Weight, and DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target — results in varied near-term views. Wells Fargo raises PT on Costco DA Davidson reaffirms neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data posted today is effectively zero/invalid (no actionable change), so it isn’t driving price action. (Entry shows 0 shares and NaN increase.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-interest pieces and product buzz (e.g., viral food items, product availability lists) are getting social attention but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Costco cookie cake reactions
• Negative Sentiment: Roth MKM and some cautious analysts warn about a possible stockpiling reversal (inventory normalization) that could slow comps in February — a risk investors are watching. Costco stock climbs after strong January sales (blockonomi)
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer and others flagged that Costco has been selling discounted luxury items in Chinese warehouses — an oddity that raises questions about merchandising controls and brand perception overseas. Jim Cramer on discounted Hermès Birkin items

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.