Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB Sells 5,068 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB cut its stake in Costco (COST) by 54.3%, selling 5,068 shares and leaving 4,268 shares valued at about $3.95 million at the end of the quarter.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $4.58 versus $4.55 and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year‑over‑year); the company has a $434.7 billion market cap and recently paid a $1.30 quarterly dividend (0.5% yield).
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $1,039.13 target, backed by 23 Buy, 11 Hold and 1 Sell recommendations and several recent price‑target revisions upward.

Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 54.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,268 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 5,068 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,951,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during 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. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on COST. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-three 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is opening its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, CA, expanding fuel footprint and local competitive pressure on convenience stores — this can boost fuel volumes and membership value over time. Costco’s first standalone gas station to open by late June
• Positive Sentiment: Management commentary and recent analysis highlight resilient consumer spending at Costco and a strong gas business, supporting revenue stability even during broader market weakness. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026 While the Broader Market Sells Off
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish pieces argue Costco’s premium multiple is justified by its membership model, Kirkland private label strength, and recession resilience — narratives that support a higher valuation multiple. 3 Reasons Costco Stock Deserves to Trade at a Sky-High Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Local initiatives and benefits — e.g., lowering fertility-drug costs in New Jersey and rollout of faster checkout tech — boost member value and may support retention and traffic. Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
• Neutral Sentiment: New product and private-label news (sourdough kit, new Kirkland items) help drive in-store traffic and add to merchandise appeal but are routine for Costco’s merchandising strategy. This Costco Sourdough Kit Has Everything You Need to Start Baking Bread
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro trade/tariff developments and energy policy moves (Jones Act waiver, new tariffs) create broader cost/price risk for retail but impacts on Costco are indirect and timing uncertain. Trump tariffs live updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that some members may pay more to renew memberships could boost recurring revenue if accepted, but risk minor churn; net effect depends on price level and timing. Some Costco members may pay more to renew their memberships
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued recalls and warnings after possible salmonella contamination in heat-and-serve/meatloaf meal kits — food-safety recalls can dent foot traffic, incur recall costs, and temporarily harm reputation. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores. How to get a refund

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.6%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $979.92 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $434.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.96, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.01. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $982.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $938.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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