NBT Bank N A NY Sells 663 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

NBT Bank N A NY lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,166 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 663 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.9% of NBT Bank N A NY’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. NBT Bank N A NY’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,477,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,333 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $24,433,000 after acquiring an additional 2,225 shares during the last quarter. Fonville Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Fonville Wealth Management LLC now owns 518 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $447,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Strong Tower Advisory Services lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services now owns 3,864 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,332,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the period. Clarity Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Clarity Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,722 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,109,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the period. Finally, Carnegie Investment Counsel lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 36,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,556,000 after purchasing an additional 1,126 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 3.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $998.47 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $442.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $995.50 and a 200 day moving average of $942.88. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Gordon Haskett raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,043.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,416. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales beat and traffic strength — Costco reported March net sales up ~11.3% to $28.41B with strong comps and digital growth, reinforcing momentum in membership, transactions and fuel-driven traffic. This is the main fundamental bullish catalyst supporting higher estimates for revenue and same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades / price-target raises — Deutsche Bank, Telsey and Wells Fargo raised price targets (Deutsche to $1,104; Telsey to $1,135; Wells Fargo to $1,000), providing analyst support that can underpin upside in the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media/catalyst mentions — Jim Cramer highlighted two operational catalysts (e.g., fuel pricing and other retailer advantages), and viral consumer interest in Costco’s one-ounce gold bars and popular product finds is boosting brand visibility and short-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterates Neutral at $1,000 — the firm reaffirmed a neutral view with a target essentially in line with the stock’s level, suggesting limited near-term upside from that shop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and retail write-ups continue to praise Costco’s long-term thesis — several outlets (The Motley Fool, Zacks, Yahoo lifestyle pieces) published favorable takes on Costco’s moat and product wins; these support sentiment but are longer‑term confirmation rather than immediate catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data shows no meaningful build — reported short interest was effectively zero in the latest snapshot, so short-covering or squeeze dynamics are not a near-term driver. (likely data/formatting artifact)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — several analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha, some sell-side notes) argue Costco’s premium multiple (~50x) is hard to justify, which can cap upside and prompt profit-taking after the sales beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Macro / headline-driven risk — broader market weakness (S&P futures reacting to geopolitical headlines) likely weighed on retail and large-cap retailers today and may have triggered sector-wide selling pressure that offset Costco’s positive sales print. Article Title

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.