56,778 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Acquired by Aquatic Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Aquatic Capital Management bought a new stake of 56,778 shares of Costco in Q3 (≈$52.6M), representing about 1.0% of its portfolio and the stock's 9th-largest position for the firm.
• Costco posted an FQ2 beat—EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55 and revenue $69.6B (up 9.2% YoY)—and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.30 (annualized $5.20, ~0.5% yield).
• Costco faces a legal overhang from multiple proposed class‑action suits seeking tariff refunds, creating potential liability, administrative burden and ongoing headline risk.

Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 56,778 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $52,555,000. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.0% of Aquatic Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 711,560 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $975.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $937.14. The firm has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a PE ratio of 52.44, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued 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 was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron's: Tariff refunds are getting messy

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company's 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

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.

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