Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. Increases Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Generali Investments CEE boosted its stake in Costco by 32.8% in Q4, adding 1,481 shares to hold 5,991 shares worth about $5.17 million at period end.
• Company insiders have been net sellers, unloading a total of 7,645 shares worth about $7.05 million over the last three months — including EVP Teresa A. Jones (850 shares) and EVP James C. Klauer (1,500 shares); insiders now own 0.10% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Costco has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $1,039.13, and several firms recently raised targets (e.g., Raymond James to $1,100; BofA initiating coverage at $1,185).

Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 32.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,991 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,481 shares during the period. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,166,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Petros Family Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Petros Family Wealth LLC now owns 1,844 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,590,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Hourglass Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 19.1% in the 4th quarter. Hourglass Capital LLC now owns 436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $376,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 1,444 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,245,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Enclave Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Enclave Advisors LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,004,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 1,791 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,544,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction 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 $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, signaling stronger-than-expected profit outlook that supports higher valuation multiples for COST. Erste Group EPS Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is rolling out standalone gas stations — a potential traffic driver and membership-value play that could boost ancillary revenue and stickiness of memberships. Costco Is Launching Standalone Gas Stations
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened its 11th Canadian Business Centre (Winnipeg), expanding B2B footprint, creating local jobs and increasing wholesale penetration in a new province. Canada’s Eleventh Costco Business Centre
• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland energy drink rollout is drawing customer enthusiasm and could pressure branded competitors while reinforcing Costco's private-label margin advantages. Kirkland Energy Drink Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsements and favorable press (Charlie Munger praise, coverage highlighting membership loyalty) help sentiment and investor confidence in Costco's durable model. Charlie Munger on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing Costco to Walmart and Amazon frames Costco as a defensive, membership-driven retailer but highlights intensifying omnichannel and ad-revenue competition from peers. Walmart or Costco: Who's Winning?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor write-ups (Fool, MarketBeat) continue to list Costco as a top consumer-staples holding — supportive for long-term flows but not a catalyst for immediate re-rating. The 2 Best Consumer Staples Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media flag concerns about membership-growth trends and rich valuation — a key risk that could cap upside if membership or comparable-sales momentum slows. Analyst Concerns on Membership Growth

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on COST. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $983.86 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $986.70 and a 200 day moving average of $939.26. The stock has a market cap of $436.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

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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