American Century Companies Inc. Has $1.50 Billion Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,619,703 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 127,495 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.8% of American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,499,246,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 72.6% in the third quarter. Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. now owns 55,045 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $50,951,000 after purchasing an additional 23,152 shares during the period. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,857 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,719,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $147,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 84.1% in the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 578 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $535,000 after buying an additional 264 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz SE raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.6% during the third quarter. Allianz SE now owns 21,903 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $20,274,000 after acquiring an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,010.79 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $948.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $935.35. The company has a market cap of $448.66 billion, a PE ratio of 54.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.19 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on COST shares. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,014.39.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with a “Buy” and a $1,185 price target, signaling material upside from current levels and lending institutional momentum to the name.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s resilience in a K-shaped economy — pricing power, loyal executive members and margin durability — supporting the stock’s defensive growth narrative. What’s Going On With Costco Wholesale Stock Today?
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a long-term bullish piece framing Costco’s business model as attractive for buy-and-hold investors, reinforcing the stock’s appeal for portfolio allocation. Costco: A Strong Business Model For Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Merchandising and pricing moves — Costco added more national brands and cut prices on select items — which can boost traffic and member perceived value, supporting same-store fundamentals. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco heads into Q2 with consensus expectations for revenue growth (~+8.6%) and EPS (~+12.7%), which supports the bull case but raises the bar — strong results could be priced in given recent analyst optimism. Should You Buy Costco Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing tariff refund lawsuits (post-Supreme Court rulings) while investing in digital tools and global expansion — potential upside from refunds but also short-term cash/legal uncertainty and capex. How Investors May Respond To Costco Wholesale (COST) Tariff Refund Lawsuits And Digital Expansion Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Operational hiccup: Costco notified Hawaii members of a Yakitori fried rice recall — a localized food-safety issue that could produce modest short-term negative PR and costs. Costco notifies Hawaii members of Yakitori fried rice recall

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.