Tritonpoint Wealth LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Tritonpoint Wealth LLC trimmed its position in Costco by 18.7% in Q4, selling 1,252 shares and now holding 5,452 shares valued at about $4.70 million.
• Several large institutions sharply increased stakes—most notably Assenagon (added 1,070,005 shares to 1,137,436 total) and Amundi—leaving institutional ownership at roughly 68.48% of the stock.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus (22 Buy / 11 Hold / 1 Sell) with an average target of $1,039.13 and top targets up to $1,175, while Costco recently beat quarter estimates (EPS $4.58 vs $4.55; revenue $69.6B).

Tritonpoint Wealth LLC lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 18.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,452 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,252 shares during the quarter. Tritonpoint Wealth LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,702,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer's stock worth $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 638.7% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer's stock worth $225,023,000 after purchasing an additional 196,537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 55.0% during the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 490,871 shares of the retailer's stock worth $485,933,000 after buying an additional 174,082 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a bullish view on Costco and highlighted a long-term growth runway, which helped lift the stock as investors price in durable membership-driven growth. Costco Stock Pops as Analyst Flags Growth Runway
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support continues: Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform rating, reinforcing buy-side confidence and possibly supporting multiple expansion. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity: a top executive executed a notable share purchase, which investors often view as management confidence in near-term fundamentals. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is pushing standalone gas stations in high-fuel-cost markets and opened a Manitoba Business Centre — moves that enhance value perception and broaden B2B revenue channels. Will Costco’s Gas and Business Centre Refine Its Value Narrative?
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed processing and reduce friction; potential margin benefits are longer-term and execution-dependent. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context and consumer interest pieces (product roundups, bakery comparisons) keep the brand top-of-mind but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. I've worked at Costco for 20 years
• Negative Sentiment: Value-price competition is heating up: Sam’s Club raised membership fees and grocery chains are cutting prices, which could intensify a margin squeeze across the sector; analysts suggest membership-price moves at competitors may pressure Costco to respond strategically. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.78, a PEG ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $989.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $940.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 44,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale 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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