Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado Cuts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 403,618 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 30,870 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.3% of Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $348,056,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $34,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $982.35 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1,005.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $967.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $435.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. 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: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Truist Financial upped their target price 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. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

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.