Madison Asset Management LLC Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Madison Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,040 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 5,459 shares during the quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $32,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was 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. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $935.80 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $974.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $978.81. The company has a market capitalization of $415.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.07, a P/E/G ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.