ZEGA Investments LLC Acquires 7,240 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

ZEGA Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 135.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,603 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,240 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.6% of ZEGA Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. ZEGA Investments LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 418,980.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 2,359,422 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,335,686,000 after acquiring an additional 2,358,859 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after buying an additional 1,377,328 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after buying an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,446 shares of company stock worth $9,549,528. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $943.08 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $892.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $930.80. The firm has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on COST shares. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales/same-store strength — Costco reported strong December sales and accelerating comps (digital sales up sharply), a key driver for renewed investor buying and higher traffic/ticket trends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgrade — Mizuho moved COST to its top-picks list and upgraded the stock to Outperform with a higher price target (~$1,000), which supports buying interest from institutional and retail investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New card perk — A newly reported credit-card perk for Costco members could lift transaction volume and loyalty over time, supporting same-store sales and margins. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion visible on the ground — Local reports (e.g., Camarillo) show continued warehouse/gas station construction, underscoring ongoing footprint growth that supports membership and revenue expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and valuation — Consensus remains generally bullish (average target ~ $996) but the stock trades at a premium (P/E ~50), meaning upside depends on continued sales/margin strength rather than multiple expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term features — Several opinion pieces reiterate Costco’s long-term case (membership model, international expansion) but add no new near-term catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data glitch — A short-interest report flagged a “significant increase” but shows zero shares/days-to-cover, suggesting a data error rather than genuine short pressure; treat headlines cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (~$1.37M) on Jan. 9, cutting his stake by ~15.4%; while small relative to institutional ownership, insider sales can be perceived negatively by some traders. Read More.

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.