HB Wealth Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

HB Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.8% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 30,632 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,235 shares during the quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $30,523,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint with several new warehouse openings and planned locations across the U.S., which could support membership growth and future revenue. Costco to Open New Stores Across the U.S.: Full List of Locations
• Positive Sentiment: New store approvals in California and other regions suggest Costco’s growth runway remains intact, even if some local residents are pushing back. New Costco approved in California, but some locals say location is ‘unnecessary’
• Positive Sentiment: Costco began alcohol sales at a Pennsylvania store, another example of incremental in-store offerings that can increase traffic and basket size. Costco Wholesale begins alcohol sales at Pennsylvania store
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles on a possible special dividend and a potential stock split are mostly speculative; they may interest shareholders, but they do not appear to be the main near-term driver of the stock. Will Costco Pay a Special Dividend in 2026? Here’s What History Says.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to debate Costco’s valuation, noting strong long-term returns but also that the stock looks expensive on earnings, which can cap upside. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: One recent analysis said Costco’s growth engine may be losing momentum as lower fuel prices could reduce a key traffic driver and create execution risk for the stock. Costco’s secret growth engine may be running out of gas
• Negative Sentiment: Another report highlighted that Costco has underperformed the broader market over the past three months, reflecting investor concern about its premium valuation. Why Costco Stock (COST) Underperformed the S&P 500 Over the Past 3 Months

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $951.67 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $990.38 and its 200 day moving average is $972.57. The stock has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

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 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 the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

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.