Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 79,754 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,020 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.0% of Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $79,469,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norway Savings Bank grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Norway Savings Bank now owns 4,280 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,265,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. One Plus One Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the first quarter worth $212,000. Arta Finance Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the first quarter worth $296,000. Financial Enhancement Group LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the first quarter. Financial Enhancement Group LLC now owns 304 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $304,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the first quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC now owns 8,030 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,001,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $952.54 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average of $996.07 and a 200-day moving average of $970.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares of 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.