Howard Capital Management Inc. Sells 9,521 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Howard Capital Management reduced its stake in Costco by 24.2% in Q4, selling 9,521 shares and leaving it with 29,761 shares worth about $25.66 million.
• Company insiders also sold recently — EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares at ~$939 and EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares at ~$986.26, with insiders disposing of 3,538 shares totaling ~$3.42 million over the past three months (insiders own ~0.10% of stock).
• Costco reported a Q earnings beat (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55) and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year-over-year), but trades at a premium valuation (P/E ~51.9) and yields $1.30 quarterly (≈0.5%).

Howard Capital Management Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 24.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 29,761 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 9,521 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $25,664,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Amundi raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,911,331,000 after buying an additional 34,826 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,499,246,000 after buying an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,555,661 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,544,040,000 after buying an additional 10,703 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,120,787,000 after buying an additional 8,259 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,416. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 3.3%

Shares of COST opened at $998.47 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $442.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.92, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.99. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $995.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $942.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. 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 raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Gordon Haskett raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,043.13.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales beat and traffic strength — Costco reported March net sales up ~11.3% to $28.41B with strong comps and digital growth, reinforcing momentum in membership, transactions and fuel-driven traffic. This is the main fundamental bullish catalyst supporting higher estimates for revenue and same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades / price-target raises — Deutsche Bank, Telsey and Wells Fargo raised price targets (Deutsche to $1,104; Telsey to $1,135; Wells Fargo to $1,000), providing analyst support that can underpin upside in the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media/catalyst mentions — Jim Cramer highlighted two operational catalysts (e.g., fuel pricing and other retailer advantages), and viral consumer interest in Costco’s one-ounce gold bars and popular product finds is boosting brand visibility and short-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterates Neutral at $1,000 — the firm reaffirmed a neutral view with a target essentially in line with the stock’s level, suggesting limited near-term upside from that shop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and retail write-ups continue to praise Costco’s long-term thesis — several outlets (The Motley Fool, Zacks, Yahoo lifestyle pieces) published favorable takes on Costco’s moat and product wins; these support sentiment but are longer‑term confirmation rather than immediate catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data shows no meaningful build — reported short interest was effectively zero in the latest snapshot, so short-covering or squeeze dynamics are not a near-term driver. (likely data/formatting artifact)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — several analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha, some sell-side notes) argue Costco’s premium multiple (~50x) is hard to justify, which can cap upside and prompt profit-taking after the sales beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Macro / headline-driven risk — broader market weakness (S&P futures reacting to geopolitical headlines) likely weighed on retail and large-cap retailers today and may have triggered sector-wide selling pressure that offset Costco’s positive sales print. Article Title

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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