Kozak & Associates Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Kozak & Associates Inc. reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 17,565 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,706 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 3.1% of Kozak & Associates Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Kozak & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at $5,692,035,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $996.16 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $441.95 billion, a PE ratio of 51.80, a P/E/G ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50-day moving average of $980.18 and a 200 day moving average of $937.82.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says shoppers remain willing to spend at Costco and its fuel business is resilient; commentary that Costco moderates gas margin changes supports steady traffic and membership value, a bullish signal for near-term same-store sales. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature continues to expand (new products from wings to salmon and ongoing brand-strength coverage), reinforcing private-label margins and member loyalty — a structural moat that supports higher-margin sales over time. Costco adds new Kirkland Signature products
• Positive Sentiment: New checkout technology pilots could speed throughput and reduce labor/friction costs if rolled out broadly, improving store economics and customer experience. Costco’s New Checkout Tech
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing local expansion talks (Asheville, NC), which could support long-term growth but have limited immediate earnings impact. Is Asheville Costco still possible?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has issued recalls and public warnings for prepared meatloaf/meal kits over potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states; recalls can drive short-term costs, refunds, regulatory scrutiny and pressure foot traffic for affected categories. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores
• Negative Sentiment: Broad media and health-department alerts (Hawaii, multiple states) amplified the recall story, increasing reputational risk and the chance of localized sales softness in deli/ready-to-eat categories. Costco warns shoppers after salmonella contamination

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.