Van ECK Associates Corp Purchases 2,413 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• VanEck raised its stake in Costco by 2.1% in Q3, adding 2,413 shares to hold 119,713 shares valued at about $110.81 million, per its latest 13F filing.
• Costco slightly beat the quarter (EPS $4.58 vs $4.55 est.; revenue $69.6B), with February comparable sales up ~7.9% and e‑commerce +21.8%, prompting several analysts to raise price targets (BTIG to $1,125; average target ≈ $1,039).
• Insider selling has occurred recently (6,915 shares sold in the last 90 days) even as the company pays a $1.30 quarterly dividend ($5.20 annualized, ~0.5% yield).

Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 119,713 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,413 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $110,810,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,104,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $1,125, citing strong membership income and continued traffic strength after Costco's latest quarter — a clear vote of confidence from an analyst following the earnings beat. BTIG Raises Costco (COST) Target
• Positive Sentiment: Truist also lifted its target (to $977) after the quarter, highlighting continued operating strength even as it kept a Hold stance — supporting the case that fundamentals remain solid. Truist Lifts PT on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Sales momentum persists: February comparable sales were reported up ~7.9% with e‑commerce growing ~21.8%, data that helps justify Costco's premium multiple. Do Costco's February Comparable Sales Justify Its Premium Valuation?
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion initiatives: local reports show Costco secured land for a new Port St. Lucie store and is building another standalone gas station — ongoing retail expansion that supports long‑term growth. Costco, Port St. Lucie, OK $6 million land deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Daiwa raised its target to $975 but kept a Neutral rating — a modest tweak that signals mixed views among brokers despite the company's solid results. Daiwa Securities Adjusts Price Target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Several feature pieces and comparisons (including analyses vs. Walmart and long‑term price targets like a $1,500 scenario) are driving debate about how much upside is left given Costco's premium valuation. These are more narrative/valuation pieces than near‑term catalysts. Is Costco Stock Going to $1,500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco continues product and partner rollouts (e.g., specialty merchandise and third‑party vendors on Costco.ca) that expand offerings but are unlikely to move the stock immediately. Costco quietly adds something F1 fans didn’t expect
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Costco has “quietly slashed prices” on popular items could pressure gross margins even if they boost traffic — a potential near‑term headwind for profitability. Costco quietly slashed prices on popular items
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting the shares may already be fairly valued and analysts flagging membership growth as a potential headwind add downside risk for a stock trading at a premium multiple. Costco: Continued Operating Outperformance, Shares Fairly Valued

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $997.36 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $442.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.86, a PEG ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average of $967.03 and a 200 day moving average of $935.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday. Roth Mkm restated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Hovde Group initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,039.13.

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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