Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Old North State Trust LLC

Old North State Trust LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,007 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 908 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.0% of Old North State Trust LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Old North State Trust LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,455,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,924,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $7,638,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,003,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 394,311 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $340,031,000 after acquiring an additional 66,904 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $149,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $951.45 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,000.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $969.42. The company has a market cap of $421.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.86, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s latest operating update showed strong momentum, with comparable sales up 9.8%, membership fees rising 10.7%, and digitally enabled sales jumping 21.5%, reinforcing the company’s durable growth story. Prediction: Costco Will Trade At This Price in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to highlight Costco’s competitive advantages, loyal membership base, and ongoing technology investments to improve the shopping experience and ease customer pain points like parking. Costco tackles major frustration for members
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles frame the stock weakness as a possible buying opportunity, pointing to Costco’s resilient business model and long-term compounding potential. Why Weakness in Dividend-Paying Costco Stock Is a Strong Buying Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Fresh media coverage around Costco products, store hours, and local development approvals is supportive of brand visibility, but these items are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Is Costco open on Juneteenth?
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment remains cautious because Costco’s premium valuation is being questioned amid macro uncertainty and sticky inflation, with one recent note saying growth may not fully justify the stock’s price. Should You Buy Costco Stock for the Long Haul? Here’s the Honest Answer.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst disagreement is also weighing on the shares, with one report noting Costco fell after Citi and Bernstein issued conflicting views on the big-box retailer. Costco Stock (COST) Drops as Analysts Can’t Agree on the Big-Box Retailer

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.