Two Sigma Securities LLC Purchases New Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Two Sigma Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 1,277 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,195,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $9,300,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the second quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $148,193,000 after acquiring an additional 6,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hyperion Asset Management Ltd grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $902.60 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $942.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $975.58. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $400.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.40, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were 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 $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Oppenheimer lifted their price target 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. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Roth Capital raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and expansion support the growth outlook. Freedom Broker upgraded Costco from “hold” to “buy” and assigned a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful upside. Separately, Costco plans to open 14 warehouses in the U.S. and Canada before year-end, which could expand membership, sales and long-term earnings. Freedom Broker upgrade and Costco expansion reports Costco warehouse expansion article
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal merchandising remains a membership benefit. Costco is adding a popular seasonal item to its lineup, reinforcing its strategy of offering limited-time and value-oriented products that can drive store traffic and encourage member purchases. Costco seasonal merchandise article
• Neutral Sentiment: Labor practices highlight Costco’s employee-retention advantage. A report about a meat cutter earning $32 per hour with benefits and job security underscores Costco’s reputation for relatively strong employee compensation. That may support service quality and retention, although higher labor costs could pressure margins over time. Costco employee compensation article
• Neutral Sentiment: Return-product resale operations provide limited incremental value. Reports that Costco sends some returned merchandise to liquidation auctions reveal a secondary channel for recovering value, but the financial impact appears too small to materially change the investment case. Costco returns and liquidation article
• Negative Sentiment: Costco reportedly shut down an online marketplace service. The abrupt closure raises questions about e-commerce execution and could disappoint investors seeking faster digital growth, even if the move ultimately reflects strategic streamlining. Costco online marketplace closure article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competitive concerns are weighing on sentiment. Commentary questioning whether Costco has lost some of its competitive edge, along with comparisons to lower-priced dollar stores, adds pressure to an already expensive stock. The recent underperformance makes investors less willing to pay a premium multiple without stronger growth. Costco competitive edge commentary

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.