Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Buys 651 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 163,356 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 651 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $151,207,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd 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 during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after purchasing an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Warehouse expansion and faster new-store ramp-ups signal durable growth runway and better utilization of sites, supporting long-term sales and membership gains. Costco’s Warehouse Expansion Strategy Fuels Long-Term Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Retail sales momentum: December sales came in strong and helped extend a recent rally — reinforces resilient traffic and membership trends that drive recurring revenue. Costco Stock Rallies on December Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Card benefits improved: Costco has quietly boosted gas rewards for co-branded cardholders (to 5% at Costco pumps), a member incentive likely to help retention and spend. Costco quietly boosts gas rewards for branded credit card holders
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/visitor pieces highlight Costco as a durable long-term holding (strong member loyalty, steady comps) but flag a high valuation and moderate growth that may limit near-term upside from current levels. Useful for long-term investors evaluating entry price. Is Costco Stock a Long-Term Buy for Everyday Investors?
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/supplier shift: Costco is switching its food-court beverage supplier back to Coca‑Cola after a decade with Pepsi — a merchandising/partnership change with limited near-term financial impact but some margin/brand implications. Costco Switches Food Court Back to Coke After Decade With Pepsi
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares (~$955 avg), reducing her stake — a small disclosed sale that some investors view negatively as timing/insight into valuation. Susan L. Decker Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: Coverage notes a large grocery rival launching an expansion push — increased competition could pressure share gains or margins in some markets over time. Huge Costco grocery rival launches expansion plans

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% 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 James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction 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. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 12,404 shares of company stock valued at $11,395,418 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $964.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $428.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.65, a P/E/G ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $896.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $929.57. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 (DPR) is 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.