Howe & Rusling Inc. Purchases 854 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 9,717 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 854 shares during the period. Howe & Rusling Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, eCIO Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Costco’s growing traffic, stronger comparable sales, and gas-driven member engagement, reinforcing that its value proposition is still attracting shoppers. Costco’s Growing Traffic Shows the Power of Its Value Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said Costco screens well for earnings acceleration, pointing to rising EPS growth trends that can support further upside in the shares. Costco & 2 Earnings Acceleration Stocks to Watch for Solid Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance and other commentary emphasized Costco’s record gasoline sales, e-commerce growth, wellness offerings, and ongoing store expansion, all of which reinforce the company’s long-term growth story. Costco Leans On Gasoline, E Commerce And Wellness To Deepen Member Value
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a top long-term growth name and suggested the stock still has room to run if membership strength and comparable sales remain solid. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains a heavily watched stock, with investor attention amplified by bullish price-target speculation and debate over whether the company can break above $1,100 over time. Can Costco Stock Break $1,100 by 2027?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the constructive outlook, one market note said Costco was among retailers that fell even as lower oil prices could have helped consumers, showing the stock can still be pressured by broader rotation or lack of immediate catalyst. It Wasn’t a Strait of Hormuz Relief Rally, After All

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $986.68 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $437.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,004.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $968.46.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost 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 29.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Oppenheimer lifted 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. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

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.