The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Raises Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 357,156 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 44,598 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $355,881,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.8%

NASDAQ COST opened at $951.58 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market cap of $422.01 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $963.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $981.10.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 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, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature is emerging as a growth engine. Expanded product offerings, pricing that is generally 15%–20% below national brands, and strong customer loyalty could improve Costco’s differentiation, margins and recurring sales. Costco’s Kirkland Brand Is Becoming a Powerful Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Expectations for fourth-quarter earnings are favorable. Wall Street reportedly anticipates a double-digit increase in earnings per share, providing a potential catalyst as investors assess whether Costco can sustain its growth premium. What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Q4 2026 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and ancillary initiatives may support engagement. Record projected back-to-school spending, a trade-in program that provides gift cards for old electronics, and continued interest in Costco’s low-priced gasoline could drive traffic and reinforce the membership value proposition. Costco will take your old tech and gift you a gift card
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor opinions remain divided. Commentary presents Costco as a high-quality retailer that can continue rewarding investors, but also emphasizes recessionary consumer sentiment and a demanding valuation—currently around 48 times earnings—which could limit upside without strong results. Three Top Retail Stocks: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel competition could pressure Costco’s traffic advantage. A new 7-Eleven gas discount challenges Costco’s reputation for cheap fuel, particularly as higher gasoline prices constrain household budgets. 7-Eleven has a gas discount that challenges Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang persists. Coverage of a $14 million email-promotion settlement and a separate lawsuit alleging heavy metals in Orgain protein powder raises potential reputational, compliance and financial risks, though the reported settlement is unlikely to materially affect Costco’s overall earnings. Costco Customers Could Claim Cash From $14 Million Settlement

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale 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.