RFG Advisory LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• RFG Advisory LLC trimmed its stake in Costco by 11.8% in Q4, selling 1,083 shares and leaving 8,129 shares valued at about $7.01 million.
• Costco EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares on March 9 at an average price of $1,003.02, a 10.66% reduction in her holdings; insiders now own roughly 0.10% of the stock.
• Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" (22 Buy / 11 Hold / 1 Sell) with a target price of ~$1,045.97; the company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.47 ($5.88 annual) and posted a slight EPS beat of $4.58 vs. $4.55.

RFG Advisory LLC lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 11.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,129 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,083 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.4%

COST stock opened at $1,016.42 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The business's 50-day moving average is $997.55 and its 200 day moving average is $950.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $450.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.86, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

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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