Welch & Forbes LLC Has $151.81 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 19th, 2026

Welch & Forbes LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 0.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 162,277 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 911 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.8% of Welch & Forbes LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $151,805,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.0% in the second quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. now owns 845 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $790,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Elevated Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $1,001,000. Spectrum Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 159.9% during the 2nd quarter. Spectrum Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 738 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $690,000 after acquiring an additional 454 shares during the period. Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC now owns 857 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $802,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sather Financial Group Inc lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sather Financial Group Inc now owns 280 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

View Our Latest Research Report on COST

More Costco Wholesale News

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

Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with nonprofit insurer SCAN Group, initially in two states pending regulatory approval. The offerings may eventually include pharmacy, vision, hearing and over-the-counter benefits, potentially increasing member engagement and monetization. Costco launching Medicare Advantage plans with SCAN Group
Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to highlight Costco’s Executive membership growth, digital sales conversion and rising fee income as evidence that the company is extracting more value from its membership base. Costco also retains broadly favorable analyst coverage, with a consensus view around “Moderate Buy.” Can Costco Stock Reach New Highs in Member Monetization?
Neutral Sentiment: Costco brought back a popular Kirkland product discontinued two years ago. The move may support customer goodwill and traffic, but it is unlikely to materially affect earnings or valuation. Costco discontinued this Kirkland favorite 2 years ago. Now it’s back
Negative Sentiment: Despite a 121% five-year total return, Costco’s valuation remains a concern. Its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, particularly after the latest quarterly EPS slightly missed estimates, even though revenue exceeded expectations. Costco Stock Looks Fully Priced Despite 121% Returns And Earnings Questions

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $961.35 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $949.20 and its 200 day moving average is $981.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $426.34 billion, a PE ratio of 48.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. 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 (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.