California Public Employees Retirement System Purchases 136,072 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,160,702 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 136,072 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.6% of California Public Employees Retirement System’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,074,381,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after buying an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $975.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $937.14. The stock has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron’s: Tariff refunds are getting messy

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.