Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST is Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s 10th Largest Position

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 79,754 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,020 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.0% of Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $79,469,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Palisade Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,760,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $952.54 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $996.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $970.54. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. 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 firm has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 presently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Citigroup began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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.