Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Moody National Bank Trust Division

Moody National Bank Trust Division lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,236 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,781 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,653,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $441,919,000 after acquiring an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group upped 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. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. HSBC reduced their price target 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. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $974.86 on Thursday. 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 $432.50 billion, a PE ratio of 50.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $985.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $938.89.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s new Kirkland energy drink is being positioned as a value private‑label offering that should drive incremental sales and hurt branded competitors — this is seen by markets as a low‑cost growth lever for Costco. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights strong member response to the Kirkland energy drink and frames the launch as another example of Costco using its private label to expand assortments and margins — a near‑term positive for top‑line and gross‑margin outlooks. Costco’s new energy drink delights fans, rattles competition
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note that Costco’s product expansion is putting pressure on smaller branded peers (e.g., Celsius), which markets interpreted as confirmation that Costco can capture share in higher‑growth categories. Celsius Stock Jolted After Costco Offers Energy-Drink Brand for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly positive: consensus price target implies material upside, but reports flag rising concerns about membership growth and valuation — a mixed signal for future returns. Analysts Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Despite Increasing Concerns Regarding Membership Growth Trends and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses on Costco’s gas‑pricing strategy emphasize it as a membership retention/acquisition tool that stabilizes traffic and revenue — supportive for recurring revenue and same‑store trends. Here’s Why Costco’s Gas Pricing Strategy Is Good News for Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Separate pieces call out valuation worries and include Costco on lists of overvalued names — a reminder that the stock’s premium multiple leaves it vulnerable to sentiment shifts if membership or comp trends slow. 5 Most Overvalued Companies According to the Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/legal flow: Bloomberg Law flags Costco as a target in consumer tariff‑refund actions — keep an eye on potential filings, though no immediate financial impact has been reported. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% 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 worth $7,049,302. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.