Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Next Century Growth Investors LLC

Next Century Growth Investors LLC cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 64.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,242 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,040 shares during the period. Next Century Growth Investors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,760,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,906,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $245,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $982.35 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $1,005.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $967.31. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $435.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.41, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on COST. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their target price 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. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Costco Wholesale 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.