Apella Capital LLC Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Apella Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 39.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,472 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,254 shares during the quarter. Apella Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,471,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on COST. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish articles highlighted Costco’s resilient membership model, strong sales growth, high renewal rates, and ongoing global expansion, reinforcing the view that the business remains fundamentally solid. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pieces suggested Costco may have further upside, with some citing a path back toward $1,000 per share and broader appeal as a defensive retailer in volatile markets. Costco Stock Price Prediction: A Path to $1,000 and Double-Digit Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Costco’s cash generation raised the possibility of another special dividend later in 2026, which could be an additional catalyst for income-focused investors. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco was also mentioned in store-opening and local expansion stories, which point to continued growth but do not appear to be major immediate stock catalysts. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where
• Neutral Sentiment: A director, Kenneth D. Denman, sold 885 shares in a disclosed SEC filing. The sale was relatively small versus his remaining stake, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful short position in the shares, so this report does not suggest a major bearish thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary noted Costco’s stock has been under pressure recently despite solid fundamentals, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking may be limiting near-term upside. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $942.24 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $996.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $970.66. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $417.86 billion, a PE ratio of 47.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

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.