Moody National Bank Trust Division Purchases 1,108 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 26.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,306 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,108 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,830,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,362,188,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong membership economics: Costco ended fiscal 2026 with 84.1 million paid members and a 92.3% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada. The recurring membership model continues to reinforce the company’s competitive moat. Is Costco’s Moat Really Worth the Premium?
• Positive Sentiment: E-commerce is becoming a larger growth engine: Digital sales exceeded $33 billion in fiscal 2026, supported by faster delivery, personalization and AI-powered search. Greater visibility among AI shopping agents could also help Costco capture additional online demand. Costco’s Digital Sales Top $33 Billion Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
• Positive Sentiment: Value initiatives may strengthen member retention: Price reductions on selected Kirkland Signature products, aided by tariff refunds and private-label flexibility, could widen Costco’s value advantage and support traffic during a challenging retail environment. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Price Cuts
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder return catalyst: Costco’s growing cash balance has prompted speculation that the company could declare a special dividend later this year, though no payout has been announced. Could a Special Dividend Come in the Final 3 Months of the Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term sales report in focus: Costco is scheduled to release September sales results after the market closes on October 7. The update could provide a fresh read on comparable sales, traffic and membership momentum. Why Telsey Still Likes Costco Ahead of September Sales Results
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation remains a risk: Analysts note that COST has underperformed the broader market recently despite continued revenue, profit and membership growth. Its elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment, and one analysis downgraded the stock on limited upside expectations. Costco: Where Does the Stock Go From Here?
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare criticism adds reputational risk: Consumer advocate Clark Howard criticized Costco’s Medicare offerings as enrollment growth slows, potentially creating member dissatisfaction or regulatory scrutiny. Clark Howard Slams Costco’s Medicare Plans

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock traded up $12.33 on Tuesday, reaching $935.85. The company had a trading volume of 1,899,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,197,681. The company’s fifty day moving average is $932.20 and its 200 day moving average is $964.21. The company has a market cap of $415.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.08, a PEG ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,144.00 to $1,143.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.