Lane Brothers & Co. Inc. Acquires New Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Lane Brothers & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 626 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $540,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s latest operating update showed strong momentum, with comparable sales up 9.8%, membership fees rising 10.7%, and digitally enabled sales jumping 21.5%, reinforcing the company’s durable growth story. Prediction: Costco Will Trade At This Price in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to highlight Costco’s competitive advantages, loyal membership base, and ongoing technology investments to improve the shopping experience and ease customer pain points like parking. Costco tackles major frustration for members
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles frame the stock weakness as a possible buying opportunity, pointing to Costco’s resilient business model and long-term compounding potential. Why Weakness in Dividend-Paying Costco Stock Is a Strong Buying Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Fresh media coverage around Costco products, store hours, and local development approvals is supportive of brand visibility, but these items are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Is Costco open on Juneteenth?
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment remains cautious because Costco’s premium valuation is being questioned amid macro uncertainty and sticky inflation, with one recent note saying growth may not fully justify the stock’s price. Should You Buy Costco Stock for the Long Haul? Here’s the Honest Answer.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst disagreement is also weighing on the shares, with one report noting Costco fell after Citi and Bernstein issued conflicting views on the big-box retailer. Costco Stock (COST) Drops as Analysts Can’t Agree on the Big-Box Retailer

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Roth Mkm lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective 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. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $951.45 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $421.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.86, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,000.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $969.01. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for 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 previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio 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.