First Nebraska Trust Co Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 2,022 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,015,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares in the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,072,000 after buying an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $951.89 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $955.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $982.10. The company has a market cap of $422.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.88, a PEG ratio of 4.60 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 released its 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 company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial publications continue to highlight Costco’s strong momentum, durable membership model, consistent profit growth and long-term shareholder returns. One analysis suggests the retailer could eventually pursue trillion-dollar-company status if it sustains warehouse expansion, membership growth and operating execution. Why Costco Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s reported experiment with expanding or changing gasoline sales could create another source of traffic, member engagement and revenue over time, although the financial impact remains uncertain. Costco Gasoline Sales Experiment
• Positive Sentiment: New product partnerships and continued customer interest—including expanded beverage distribution and popular food offerings—reinforce Costco’s ability to attract shoppers and support sales, though these developments are not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Coco5 Costco Partnership

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’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 value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.