Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Marietta Wealth Management LLC

Marietta Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 14,967 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 724 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.7% of Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,854,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Bulwark Capital Corp purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC increased 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 900.0% during the 1st quarter. Anderson Financial Strategies LLC now owns 40 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd 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. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $865.65 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $384.24 billion, a PE ratio of 46.37, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $899.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $936.84. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,339 shares of company stock worth $5,916,642 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports strong traffic gains and rising digital engagement, reinforcing Costco’s value/membership-driven model and supporting durable revenue growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast says Costco’s global expansion is gaining momentum — a tailwind for long-term store-level sales and membership growth outside the U.S. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 247WallSt publishes a bullish take arguing Costco could surge and even split its stock in 2026, which can attract momentum investors and spark speculative buying. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/deal coverage highlights a discounted membership offer (digital Shop Card for new Gold Star sign-ups) that could modestly boost new-member adds in the near term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives-focused pieces note increased trading strategies around COST (buying leveraged upside via spreads), signaling active trader interest but not a directional fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morning‑read pieces (The Motley Fool / Yahoo guides) reiterate Costco’s steady business model: memberships drive profitability and slow, consistent comp growth is the core thesis — helpful context for buy-and-hold investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is gaining ground in China, highlighting competitive risks to Costco’s international growth and margin profile in that market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that COST has “tumbled despite higher free cash flow and FCF margins” underscores investor frustration that operational strength hasn’t translated into price support — a sentiment drag. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Logistics/cargo-theft stories include a theft of lobster meat destined for Costco stores — a reminder of supply-chain and security risks that can create isolated product disruptions and minor cost/headline noise. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on COST. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Argus increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $950.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $992.08.

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.