Kathmere Capital Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Kathmere Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 32.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,816 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,414 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,795,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Abel Hall LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 53.6% in the first quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,270,000 after acquiring an additional 445 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.3% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 35,719 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $36,382,000 after purchasing an additional 1,784 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 67,317 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $68,565,000 after purchasing an additional 2,701 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 3,591 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,578,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marietta Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Marietta Investment Partners LLC now owns 652 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $650,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $951.67 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.87, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $990.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $973.36. 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 data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 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 analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on COST. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of 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. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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 Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction 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 represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.