Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV Decreases Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,883 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,819 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.7% of Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gould Asset Management LLC CA boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.1% during the 3rd quarter. Gould Asset Management LLC CA now owns 2,051 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,898,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. now owns 93,197 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $86,265,000 after purchasing an additional 1,539 shares in the last quarter. Great Point Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $287,000. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the third quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 3,503 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,242,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Presper Financial Architects LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 10.2% in the third quarter. Presper Financial Architects LLC now owns 292 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,410,343.68. The trade was a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’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 transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 11,946 shares of company stock worth $10,958,028. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Daiwa Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $963.61 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $427.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $894.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $930.63.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised shareholder returns with a confirmed quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share (payable Feb. 13), which supports income-focused demand and underpins buyer interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum stories are signaling a breakout after late-2025 weakness; analysts and commentators pointing to stronger December sales and improving charts are drawing short-term buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple long-term investor pieces highlight Costco’s resilient membership model, renewal economics and international expansion as durable tailwinds that keep buy-and-hold interest elevated. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Consumer-facing features (e.g., food-court pricing, membership perks) and new incentives to upgrade members to Executive status may help average spend and renewals over time, supporting the revenue mix. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer and lifestyle write-ups (buy-and-hold lists, product highlights) keep brand visibility high but are unlikely to move the stock materially by themselves. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-flow commentary notes unusually active put activity on Costco — framed as a strategy for acquiring shares without overpaying; this highlights price sensitivity but isn’t a direct directional signal. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP James Klauer and other executives disclosed mid-January share sales (Klauer sold 1,500 shares), which can create short-term selling pressure and raise investor caution even if sales are routine. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a constraint—COST trades at a premium versus peers (~50x earnings), so the stock is sensitive to any sign of slowing sales/margin improvement; some coverage highlights that premium as a risk to near-term gains. 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.