J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Boosts Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 48,817 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 869 shares during the quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $42,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

COST stock opened at $996.58 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $987.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $939.08. The company has a market capitalization of $442.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.82, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 1.00.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. 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 payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Gordon Haskett upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was 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 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock worth $4,790,896. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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

About Costco Wholesale

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.