Korea Investment CORP Sells 34,298 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Korea Investment CORP lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 319,518 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 34,298 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.5% of Korea Investment CORP’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.07% of Costco Wholesale worth $275,533,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20,936.6% during the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 970,840 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $837,194,000 after purchasing an additional 966,225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5,221.0% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 693,002 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $597,604,000 after purchasing an additional 679,978 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $982.35 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $435.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1,005.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $966.74. 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 posted 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 last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. 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. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

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.