National Pension Service Purchases 33,151 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

National Pension Service raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 966,727 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,151 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $904,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the period. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,300,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,813,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to open 10 new warehouses over the next two months, supporting long-term membership growth, sales expansion and geographic reach. Costco has 10 new stores opening in the next two months
• Positive Sentiment: E-commerce sales increased 17.9% in August and 20.9% for fiscal 2026, indicating that digital operations are becoming a meaningful additional growth engine alongside Costco’s warehouses. Costco’s E-commerce Momentum Keeps Its Growth Engine Running
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results later this month, making upcoming sales, membership and margin trends important near-term catalysts. Should You Buy Costco Stock Before Sept. 24?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco nearly doubled the price of a 10-quart case of Kirkland Signature motor oil to $57.99 and limited purchases amid an oil-supply crunch. The move highlights inflationary pressure across consumer goods and could weigh on customer sentiment, even though higher prices may protect some revenue. Costco hikes motor oil prices and puts limits on how much members can buy
• Negative Sentiment: RBC expects higher fuel costs to pressure Costco’s core gross margin in the fourth quarter. Tariff refunds may offset much of the impact, but the mixed outlook reinforces concerns about near-term earnings quality. Costco Gross Margin Pressure From Higher Fuel Costs Likely to be Offset by Tariff Refunds, RBC Says

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on COST. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Roth Capital raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $901.35 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $938.54 and a 200-day moving average of $973.21. The company has a market cap of $399.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.