Strs Ohio Decreases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Strs Ohio lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 121,931 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,863 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $121,496,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $951.67 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $991.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $972.72. The firm has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a PEG ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is still expanding its warehouse footprint, with new store plans reported in Florida, South Carolina and Southern California, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. Costco plans to build new warehouse in southern Hillsborough County
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat on Costco’s earnings power, with Erste Group raising FY2027 EPS estimates above consensus, signaling confidence in the retailer’s ability to keep growing profits.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Costco as a strong long-term compounder, supported by its membership model, cash generation, and resilient value proposition for consumers. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a possible 2026 stock split is generating attention, but it does not change Costco’s fundamentals and management has historically been cautious about splitting the stock. With Costco Trading Under $1,000, Is a Stock Split Still on the Table for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: One comparison piece versus Amazon and a holiday-closure story versus Sam’s Club are more about consumer habits and retail strategy than a direct change in Costco’s outlook. Growth Stock Showdown: Is Costco or Amazon the Better Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns Costco may be expensive on earnings and could face execution risks if fuel-related traffic tailwinds weaken, which could limit upside if growth slows. Costco’s Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.