654 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Acquired by Altrafin AG

Altrafin AG bought a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 654 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $564,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 30,914 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $26,659,000 after purchasing an additional 771 shares during the period. Apriem Advisors boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Apriem Advisors now owns 2,878 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,482,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the period. Jacobi Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Jacobi Capital Management LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,334,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 381.6% in the 4th quarter. FORA Capital LLC now owns 14,467 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,524,000 after purchasing an additional 11,463 shares during the period. Finally, Burton Enright Welch bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,232,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of COST opened at $982.35 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $435.65 billion, a PE ratio of 49.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,005.34 and a 200 day moving average of $966.74. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last issued 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). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

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.