Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 9.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,630 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 950 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,592,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale
In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Key Costco Wholesale News
- 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
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages have recently commented on COST. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.
View Our Latest Analysis on Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $940.87 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $975.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $978.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap 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 – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company 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 business earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.
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.
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