Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Raises Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 158,507 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,646 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $145,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the second 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. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $48,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $963.61 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,078.23. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $894.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $929.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $427.72 billion, a PE ratio of 51.61, a P/E/G ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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 paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised shareholder returns with a confirmed quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share (payable Feb. 13), which supports income-focused demand and underpins buyer interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum stories are signaling a breakout after late-2025 weakness; analysts and commentators pointing to stronger December sales and improving charts are drawing short-term buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple long-term investor pieces highlight Costco’s resilient membership model, renewal economics and international expansion as durable tailwinds that keep buy-and-hold interest elevated. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer-facing features (e.g., food-court pricing, membership perks) and new incentives to upgrade members to Executive status may help average spend and renewals over time, supporting the revenue mix. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer and lifestyle write-ups (buy-and-hold lists, product highlights) keep brand visibility high but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-flow commentary notes unusually active put activity on Costco — framed as a strategy for acquiring shares without overpaying; this highlights price sensitivity but isn’t a direct directional signal. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP James Klauer and other executives disclosed mid-January share sales (Klauer sold 1,500 shares), which can create short-term selling pressure and raise investor caution even if sales are routine. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a constraint—COST trades at a premium versus peers (~50x earnings), so the stock is sensitive to any sign of slowing sales/margin improvement; some coverage highlights that premium as a risk to near-term gains. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 11,946 shares of company stock worth $10,958,028 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by 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.