Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Raised by Bank of America Corp DE

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 30th, 2026

Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 11.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the quarter. Bank of America Corp DE owned 1.69% of Costco Wholesale worth $7,488,203,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in 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 in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position 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 worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $974.03 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $431.96 billion, a PE ratio of 49.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.67 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. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $958.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $982.10.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Roth Capital lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Costco Wholesale

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Costco is being highlighted as a relatively safe dividend stock as investors favor companies with resilient demand, recurring membership revenue and a history of profit growth. Its earnings expansion has supported ongoing dividend increases and other capital returns. Why Costco, Verizon, Kroger, and Other Safe Dividend Stocks Are Rising
Positive Sentiment: Costco’s retail partnership with athlete-backed hydration brand Coco5 could add a new health-and-wellness product to its assortment and introduce the brand to millions of members, although the direct financial impact is likely modest initially. Coco5 Signs Retail Partnership with Costco
Positive Sentiment: A Florida distribution center is now operating with on-site solar generation and battery storage, potentially reducing exposure to grid costs and disruptions while advancing Costco’s sustainability goals. Costco Is Running a Florida Distribution Center Fully Off the Grid
Neutral Sentiment: The Federal Reserve kept interest rates at 3.5%–3.75%. Stable rates support predictable financing conditions, but the possibility of future policy changes remains important for Costco’s consumer demand and premium valuation. The Fed Held Rates at 3.5%-3.75%
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparisons with Walmart focus on Costco’s loyal membership base, digital growth and resilient sales, but also emphasize that COST trades at a richer valuation, leaving less room for disappointment. Walmart vs. Costco: Which Retail Stock Has the Stronger Edge?
Negative Sentiment: Costco agreed to a $14 million settlement over allegations that emails sent to Washington shoppers used misleading subject lines. Costco denies wrongdoing, but the settlement adds legal expense and reputational risk. Costco’s $14 Million Email Settlement
Negative Sentiment: Costco reportedly exited its relationship with Synergy CHC, a setback for that supplier and a possible indication of assortment or commercial changes, though the direct effect on Costco appears limited. Synergy CHC Faces Major Setback as Costco Exits
Negative Sentiment: An animal-rights investigation alleges severe mistreatment and biosecurity violations at an organic chicken supplier connected to Costco. The allegations could increase supply-chain scrutiny and reputational risk if substantiated. Investigation Into Costco Chicken Supplier

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

(Free Report)

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.