Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Raises Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.8% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 103,141 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,150 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $102,787,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in 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 during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.5%

COST opened at $940.87 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $417.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.33, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $975.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $977.54. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• 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

Costco Wholesale 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.