Navellier & Associates Inc. Sells 14,070 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Navellier & Associates cut its stake in Costco by 69.1%, selling 14,070 shares and leaving 6,293 shares valued at about $5.43 million in its latest 13F filing.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (from $1.30), implying $5.88 annually and a ~0.6% yield, with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and payment on May 15.
• Analysts remain broadly positive — MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $1,045.97 and several firms raising price targets — while Costco slightly beat quarterly EPS ($4.58 vs. $4.55) and reported revenue up 9.2% year-over-year.

Navellier & Associates Inc. reduced its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 69.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,293 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,070 shares during the quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the third quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the third quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the third quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,399 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,295,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cascade Investment Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cascade Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,151 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,065,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Construction is set to begin on Costco’s first Milwaukee County warehouse after a land deal closed, signaling incremental store growth and membership reach in a new local market. Construction starts soon on Costco's first Milwaukee County store after land deal
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened a Camarillo gas station ahead of a planned warehouse, accelerating fuel sales and customer acquisition in that trade area. Fuel operations typically boost basket size and traffic. Costco opens Camarillo gas station ahead of warehouse construction
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Costco’s strong balance sheet (large liquid assets, low debt) and plans for roughly 28 new warehouses, while membership fees rose ~13.6%—a direct revenue lever and evidence of pricing/power. Why Costco's Financial Strength Could Outpace Retail Challenges
• Positive Sentiment: Foot-traffic data show Costco stores are materially busier over several years (visits +18% vs. 2019), supporting same-store sales resilience versus flatter traffic at Walmart/Target. It's not in your head: Costco has gotten more crowded
• Positive Sentiment: New brand additions—Korea’s Medicube skincare entering US retail via Costco (and Walmart)—expand product mix and could attract higher-margin beauty/skincare sales. Korea’s Medicube skincare to hit Walmart, Costco in US expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Roundups of new groceries hitting shelves highlight ongoing product refreshes that support traffic but are routine for Costco’s model. The Best New Costco Groceries Hitting Shelves This Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco tweaked its long-running $1.50 hot dog combo; a small operational/PR note that could affect customer sentiment but has limited financial impact. Costco just changed its famous $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what’s new
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry pieces comparing big-box performance (Walmart, Target, Costco) provide context that Target has led YTD gains—useful for relative-valuation and allocation decisions but not company-specific news. Which Big-Box Store Chain Has Dominated 2026: Walmart, Target, or Costco?
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyst pieces (Costco vs. Walmart) reassess trade-offs—useful for long-term positioning but not catalytic near-term. Costco vs. Walmart: What's the Better Consumer Staples Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation cautions: some analysts say COST’s strong fundamentals are already priced in (high P/E), making it harder to justify new purchases at current levels—this can limit near-term upside. Costco (COST) Is Hard Not to Love. Buying It Right Now Is Harder

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.4%

COST stock opened at $1,016.42 on Wednesday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $450.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.86, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $997.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $950.47.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 30.58%.

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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