Cinctive Capital Management LP Invests $7.18 Million in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Cinctive Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 8,329 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $7,182,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,195,415,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20,936.6% in the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 970,840 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $837,194,000 after acquiring an additional 966,225 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary pointed to Costco’s rising traffic, strong comparable sales, and gas-related member engagement as evidence that its value proposition continues to drive repeat visits and support growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco was included in a list of earnings-acceleration stocks, with commentary noting rising EPS growth trends that can precede stronger share performance. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: A separate article argued that Costco remains a durable long-term “buy and hold” business because of its loyal customer base and membership-driven model. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle pieces mentioned Costco shopping habits and product preferences, but these articles are not likely to materially affect the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary comparing Costco with Walmart and asking whether the stock can break $1,100 by 2027 mainly reflects valuation debate rather than a clear near-term catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Costco fell alongside other retail stocks even as lower gas prices and a broader oil-related relief theme were discussed, suggesting some short-term weakness may be driven by sector rotation rather than fundamentals. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $965.59 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $1,003.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $968.87. The stock has a market cap of $428.22 billion, a PE ratio of 48.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

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.