Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV Boosts Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 237.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 819 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 576 shares during the quarter. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $816,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Little House Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.2% in the first quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 5,446 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,427,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. True North Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. True North Advisors LLC now owns 10,935 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,896,000 after purchasing an additional 784 shares in the last quarter. SEB Asset Management AB bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 1st quarter worth $17,647,000. Swiss National Bank lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,302,660 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,298,010,000 after purchasing an additional 88,200 shares during the period. Finally, World Equity Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 955 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Costco to $20.52 from $20.49, slightly above the Street consensus of $20.38, suggesting analysts still see modest earnings upside. Earnings forecast boost article
• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a favorite dividend name, with its next ex-dividend date set for July 24, which may attract income-focused investors ahead of the payout. Dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: A profile of a longtime Costco cashier who became a millionaire highlights the company’s employee retention and compensation culture, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Employee profile article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several local news items about new warehouses, gas stations, and remodels point to ongoing store expansion and reinvestment, but they are not major stock-moving catalysts by themselves.
• Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat said Costco’s June sales showed cooling comparable sales and weak international results, keeping the stock in “neutral” territory despite its premium valuation. Cooling comp sales article
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from Zacks and Yahoo Finance argued Costco shares still look expensive after a strong multi-year run, reinforcing valuation concerns that can weigh on the stock. Valuation debate article

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s 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 approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $940.87 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. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $975.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $978.32. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $417.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company 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 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

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.