Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Park Avenue Securities LLC

Key Points

• Park Avenue Securities cut its stake in Costco by 21.1% in Q4, selling 6,154 shares and leaving 22,949 shares worth about $19.79 million.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations with $4.58 EPS (vs. $4.55 est.) and $69.6 billion revenue (+9.2% YoY); analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $1,039.13.
• Institutional investors own 68.48% of the stock, but Costco trades at a premium (P/E ≈ 50), and insiders have sold 7,645 shares (~$7.05 million) in the past 90 days, highlighting valuation and insider-activity considerations for investors.

Park Avenue Securities LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 21.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,949 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 6,154 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $19,790,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 18,132 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $17,950,000 after purchasing an additional 1,480 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $972.33 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $984.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $938.57. The firm has a market cap of $431.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.56, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. Equities research 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 paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is keeping fuel prices low with a deliberate pricing strategy to stay cheaper than competitors, which can drive continued traffic and membership value. As Gas Prices Soar, Costco's Using This Smart Strategy To Stay Cheaper Than Most
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive: consensus ratings across brokerages show a majority buy/moderate-buy stance, supporting investor confidence. Costco Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Costco upgraded its retail-media platform, a potential new ad-revenue stream that can boost margins over time. Costco upgrades its retail media platform
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups (seeking-alpha coverage and long-term valuation defenses) are reinforcing the narrative that Costco’s membership model and pricing power can sustain outperformance. Costco: A Likely Outperformer Based On The Business Model
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Ron Vachris addressed questions about the $1.50 hot dog combo, offering clarity to a vocal part of Costco’s brand/PR — removes a potential source of uncertainty but has limited direct earnings impact. Costco CEO gives update on future of $1.50 hot dog and soda combo
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco added new Kirkland Signature items (and launched a private-label refrigerated dog food), moves that can deepen margins and member loyalty but may take time to scale. Costco adds Kirkland Signature items
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage and investor-interest pieces (Zacks, Yahoo, TipRanks) are drawing attention to COST, which can amplify trading activity but not necessarily change fundamentals. Costco is Attracting Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: COST trades at a premium (P/E around 50x), leaving limited room for error if same-store sales or margin expansion disappoint — this makes the stock sensitive to any weaker-than-expected data.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on COST. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho upped their price objective 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. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm'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 sale, the executive vice president 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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