Investment Management Corp of Ontario Acquires 17,181 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Investment Management Corp of Ontario boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 69.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 41,857 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,181 shares during the period. Investment Management Corp of Ontario’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,095,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.9% during the fourth quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 20,047 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $17,287,000 after purchasing an additional 3,998 shares during the period. Evolve Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,968,000. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC now owns 415,428 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $358,240,000 after purchasing an additional 111,546 shares during the period. Cinctive Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,182,000. Finally, Claro Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. now owns 2,104 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,815,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock 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. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $428.22 billion, a price-to-earnings 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 current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on COST. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

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.