Sage Advisors LLC Trims Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Sage Advisors LLC trimmed its stake by 74.3% in Costco during Q4, ending the period with 369 shares valued at approximately $318,000 after selling 1,068 shares.
• Equity analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" on Costco with a $1,039.13 average price target; several firms raised targets to $1,100 while Goldman Sachs cut its target to $1,088.
• Fundamentals and insider activity: Costco beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.58 vs. $4.55) with revenue of $69.6B (+9.2% YoY), insiders sold 7,645 shares (~$7.05M) recently, and the company pays a $1.30 quarterly dividend (~0.5% yield).

Sage Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 74.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 369 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,068 shares during the period. Sage Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $318,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Gordon Haskett increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $983.86 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $436.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.16, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. 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's 50 day simple moving average is $986.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $939.26. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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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