KCM Investment Advisors LLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 2.2% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 112,385 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,553 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 3.7% of KCM Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. KCM Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $111,984,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st 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 during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective 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. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.
Costco Wholesale News Roundup
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
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $951.58 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $963.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $981.10. The company 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 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued 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 return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared 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 is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.
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.
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