Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Zhang Financial LLC

Zhang Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 33.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,215 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 561 shares during the period. Zhang Financial LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,207,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kera Capital Partners Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 40.7% in the first quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. now owns 947 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $944,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 18.0% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 223 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $226,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 4,858 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,841,000 after buying an additional 299 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 6.0% in the first quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,778 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,754,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the period. Finally, Townsend Asset Management Corp NC ADV raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Townsend Asset Management Corp NC ADV now owns 8,097 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,069,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Costco to $20.52 from $20.49, slightly above the Street consensus of $20.38, suggesting analysts still see modest earnings upside. Earnings forecast boost article
• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a favorite dividend name, with its next ex-dividend date set for July 24, which may attract income-focused investors ahead of the payout. Dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: A profile of a longtime Costco cashier who became a millionaire highlights the company’s employee retention and compensation culture, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Employee profile article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several local news items about new warehouses, gas stations, and remodels point to ongoing store expansion and reinvestment, but they are not major stock-moving catalysts by themselves.
• Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat said Costco’s June sales showed cooling comparable sales and weak international results, keeping the stock in “neutral” territory despite its premium valuation. Cooling comp sales article
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from Zacks and Yahoo Finance argued Costco shares still look expensive after a strong multi-year run, reinforcing valuation concerns that can weigh on the stock. Valuation debate article

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $940.87 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $975.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $977.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $417.26 billion, a PE ratio of 47.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be 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%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Roth Capital boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.