Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Chilton Investment Co. Inc.

Key Points

• Chilton Investment Co. Inc. raised its stake in Costco by 3.5%, buying 13,449 shares to hold 394,978 shares (about 7.5% of Chilton’s portfolio), representing roughly 0.09% of Costco worth ~$365.6 million at quarter-end.
• Costco beat FQ2 expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B vs. $68.96B) with membership growth and premium executive sign‑ups driving recurring fee income and sales momentum.
• Multiple proposed class‑action suits seeking tariff refunds create a legal overhang and potential liability/PR risk for Costco while parallel government recovery efforts continue to complicate the outlook.

Chilton Investment Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 394,978 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 13,449 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 7.5% of Chilton Investment Co. Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of Costco Wholesale worth $365,603,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,499,000 after buying an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a price-to-earnings 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. The company's fifty day moving average is $975.52 and its 200-day moving average is $937.14.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment 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 data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

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.

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