Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Raises Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 35,719 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,784 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.7% of Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,382,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of 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. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Oppenheimer upped 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 research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,061.45.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $951.67 on Monday. 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. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $990.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $973.36. The company has a market capitalization of $422.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous 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 year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date 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 (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint with several new warehouse openings and planned locations across the U.S., which could support membership growth and future revenue. Costco to Open New Stores Across the U.S.: Full List of Locations
• Positive Sentiment: New store approvals in California and other regions suggest Costco’s growth runway remains intact, even if some local residents are pushing back. New Costco approved in California, but some locals say location is ‘unnecessary’
• Positive Sentiment: Costco began alcohol sales at a Pennsylvania store, another example of incremental in-store offerings that can increase traffic and basket size. Costco Wholesale begins alcohol sales at Pennsylvania store
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles on a possible special dividend and a potential stock split are mostly speculative; they may interest shareholders, but they do not appear to be the main near-term driver of the stock. Will Costco Pay a Special Dividend in 2026? Here’s What History Says.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to debate Costco’s valuation, noting strong long-term returns but also that the stock looks expensive on earnings, which can cap upside. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: One recent analysis said Costco’s growth engine may be losing momentum as lower fuel prices could reduce a key traffic driver and create execution risk for the stock. Costco’s secret growth engine may be running out of gas
• Negative Sentiment: Another report highlighted that Costco has underperformed the broader market over the past three months, reflecting investor concern about its premium valuation. Why Costco Stock (COST) Underperformed the S&P 500 Over the Past 3 Months

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.