Archford Capital Strategies LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Archford Capital Strategies LLC cut its Costco stake by 27.2% in Q4, selling 1,484 shares to finish with 3,966 shares valued at about $3.42 million, per its latest 13F filing.
• Several large institutions aggressively increased positions—most notably Assenagon (+1,586.8% to 1,137,436 shares, ~$980.9M) and Amundi (+45% to 3,176,606 shares)—leaving institutional ownership at 68.48%.
• Analysts remain broadly positive: Costco has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $1,039.13 average price target, following a recent quarter that slightly beat EPS estimates and showed 9.2% year‑over‑year revenue growth.

Archford Capital Strategies LLC lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 27.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,966 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,484 shares during the period. Archford Capital Strategies LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd 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 last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer's stock worth $441,919,000 after acquiring an additional 252,453 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3,728.4% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 245,590 shares of the retailer's stock worth $243,119,000 after purchasing an additional 239,175 shares during the last quarter. 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: Jim Cramer reiterated Costco as a defensive, buy‑in‑this‑environment pick, which can support retail investor demand and sentiment. Jim Cramer on Costco: “This One Is What You Buy in This Environment”
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and a $1,125 price target, implying meaningful upside from current levels and giving institutional/quant models a constructive signal. Telsey Advisory Group Outperform Note
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out its first stand‑alone gas station and continues to use discounted fuel as a membership and traffic driver — high pump prices can actually bolster membership growth and in‑store sales. This is a potential revenue/traffic tailwind. Costco Will Soon Open Its First Stand-Alone Gas Station
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and footprint expansion: Costco is testing faster checkout tech and planning new warehouses and business‑centre openings (including Canada), which support long‑term traffic and membership retention. Costco's Warehouse Expansion Plans Signal Long-Term Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/market notes (Dow Jones/IBD) flag Costco approaching new buy points after recent rallies — useful for traders but not a fundamental change. Dow Jones: Merck, Costco Approach New Buy Points
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are split on near‑term sales and valuation -- March sales are expected to rise YOY but forward multiples remain rich, keeping analyst opinions mixed. Costco March Sales to Climb, But Analysts Stay Split on COST Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/consumer risk: Costco faces a lawsuit alleging it raised prices then sought tariff refunds, a story that could generate regulatory/legal costs or reputational hit if it escalates. Costco sued over claims it raised prices, then sought tariff refunds
• Negative Sentiment: Minor consumer PR issue: a viral complaint about an "overpriced" new dessert feeds short‑term negative chatter among members, though it’s unlikely to materially affect fundamentals. Costco Members Are FURIOUS About This ‘Overpriced’ New Dessert

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $996.43 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $442.07 billion, a PE ratio of 51.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $988.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $939.28. 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 (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm 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 firm's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was 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 approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale 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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