Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Lifted by Old North State Trust LLC

Old North State Trust LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,007 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 908 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.0% of Old North State Trust LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Old North State Trust LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,455,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $5,195,415,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $951.45 on Monday. 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 capitalization of $421.95 billion, a PE ratio of 47.86, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1,000.19 and a 200-day moving average of $969.42.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group upped 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. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

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

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.