SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 2,333 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,012,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.7% of SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position.
Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20,936.6% in the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 970,840 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $837,194,000 after purchasing an additional 966,225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 182.4% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $462,265,000 after purchasing an additional 346,208 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
NASDAQ:COST opened at $975.69 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,005.62 and a 200-day moving average of $966.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.08, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50.
Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Roth Mkm raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of 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. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST
Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their earnings estimates for Costco, lifting FY2026 EPS to $20.49 and FY2027 EPS to $22.61, slightly above prior forecasts and reinforcing confidence in Costco’s long-term earnings power.
- Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he thinks investors should “buy some here,” adding another public bullish call on Costco and keeping the stock in focus as a defensive long-term holding.
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces highlighted Costco’s membership-fee model as a durable, recurring-revenue engine, which continues to appeal to investors looking for steady compounding and defensive growth.
- Positive Sentiment: Costco’s CEO is set to receive a leadership honor for advancing women in corporate governance, adding a modest ESG/governance positive for institutional investors.
- Neutral Sentiment: Articles noted that Costco allows some shopping without a membership in the U.S., a consumer-facing detail that may support traffic but is not likely to materially change fundamentals on its own. Confirmed: Costco Reveals the Only Way to Shop Without a Membership Anywhere in the United States
- Neutral Sentiment: Costco is fighting a lawsuit over claims that its $5 rotisserie chicken is falsely advertised as having “no preservatives,” which creates headline risk but has not yet been shown to affect operations. Costco fires back over lawsuit tied to iconic product as shoppers claim false advertising
- Negative Sentiment: Commentary comparing Costco with Dollar Tree suggested tighter consumer budgets could increase competition on value, which may pressure pricing power at the margin if shoppers trade down.
Costco Wholesale Company 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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