Hanover Advisors Inc. Takes Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Hanover Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 555 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $553,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,072,000 after buying an additional 1,496 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s warehouse expansion story remains intact, with plans for 26 net-new warehouses in fiscal 2026 and a strong international pipeline that could extend its growth runway. Why Costco’s Warehouse Growth Story Is Far From Over
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market-watch articles continue to frame COST as a high-quality long-term compounder, highlighting strong sales trends, a high membership renewal rate, and appeal for retirement investors. Costco Is a No-Brainer Buy for Retirement Investors Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Another upbeat take says Costco’s recent pullback from a 52-week high could be an attractive entry point if its continued double-digit comparable sales growth holds up. Price Prediction: Will Costco Hit a New-High This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains one of the most widely watched retail stocks, which can keep sentiment and trading volume elevated even without a major new catalyst. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were also pressured by a report that Costco may build standalone gas stations, a move some investors fear could weaken a key traffic-driving feature of its warehouses and hurt margins. Costco Stock (COST) Drops despite Bet on Standalone Gas Stations in Sales Push
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a concern for some commentators, with articles noting that strong quality metrics do not necessarily mean the stock is cheap at current levels. 3 Dividend Stocks That Pass Buffett’s Test: Buy, Sell or Hold?

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’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 transaction, the director directly 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 is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Roth Capital raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Truist Financial raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, 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 research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $935.80 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $415.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.07, a PEG ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $974.46 and its 200-day moving average is $978.81.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect 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 given a $1.47 dividend. 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 payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

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.