Korea Investment CORP Has $327.50 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Korea Investment CORP lessened its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 353,816 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,910 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.7% of Korea Investment CORP’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Korea Investment CORP owned 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $327,503,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 133.9% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 6,175 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,716,000 after buying an additional 3,535 shares during the last quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 43,685 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $40,436,000 after buying an additional 897 shares during the period. Evexia Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.0% during the third quarter. Evexia Wealth LLC now owns 11,258 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,533,000 after buying an additional 1,379 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 10.7% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 489,848 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $453,418,000 after acquiring an additional 47,253 shares during the period. Finally, Modern Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 40.7% in the third quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,008 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,116,000 after acquiring an additional 3,471 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,035.35.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $998.10 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $443.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 1.01. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $961.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $935.74. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 29.37%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 double‑beat — Costco reported revenue of ~$69.6B and GAAP EPS of $4.58, with comp‑store strength and membership fee growth that underpin near‑term sales momentum. This is the main catalyst supporting the rally. Costco Wholesale beats quarterly comparable sales estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — several brokers (notably a large Street high by BMO cited in coverage) raised targets and reiterated outperform/overweight views, adding upward pressure. Costco Stock Scores New Street‑High Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & balance‑sheet strength — commentary and notes on buybacks, a rising cash pile and the “special dividend” thesis are attracting income/return‑focused investors and support further upside. Costco Wholesale: Buy Now, Get Paid Later as Cash and Returns Build
• Positive Sentiment: Digital and membership momentum — online sales growth (~22.6%) and rising membership income are cited on the call as durable drivers of mix and margins, supporting investor confidence. Costco Digital Innovations Fuel 22.6% Online Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — while many raised targets, a few (e.g., Goldman) trimmed targets even as they kept buy calls; that creates a mix of conviction levels among institutional holders. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Muted market reaction — despite the beat, some headlines note a tepid price move (and some pre‑market weakness) as investors weigh valuation metrics versus growth. That can lead to intraday volatility. Costco Stock Exhibits Muted Reaction Amid Double‑Beat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and “red flags” narrative — some outlets argue the stock is expensive (high P/E, PEG) and list risks that could cap upside; those narratives are pressuring more value‑sensitive investors. Is Costco Too Expensive? 3 Red Flags That Could Send Shares Sliding

About Costco Wholesale

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.