International Assets Investment Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,864 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 654 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,644,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,911,331,000 after buying an additional 34,826 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,499,246,000 after buying an additional 127,495 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,120,787,000 after buying an additional 8,259 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: April sales beat expectations — Costco reported April net sales up ~13% year-over-year and positive comparable-store growth, a result analysts say shows resilient demand and helped lift the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Gas prices provided a near-term revenue boost — commentary and coverage attribute part of April’s sales gain to higher gasoline prices, which lift fuel revenue and store traffic. This is being cited as a key reason for the stock’s uptick. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains intact — Deutsche Bank nudged its price target higher and kept a Buy rating; Bank of America reiterated Buy and a high price target after the April results, which can sustain investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth narrative highlighted — bullish commentary and price‑target pieces point to membership and digital-sales momentum as catalysts that could support further upside over the next 12 months. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/customer experience tweaks — Costco is rolling changes (self-checkout adjustments industry-wide, bakery improvements) that may modestly affect store throughput and satisfaction but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and in-store activity — initiatives like GEN Korean BBQ roadshows and new gas-station openings support foot traffic and product discovery, incremental positives for sales execution. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure — BJ’s Wholesale is expanding in North Texas, intensifying local competition versus Costco and Sam’s Club; investors should watch share dynamics in key markets. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry headwinds flagged — Moody’s and other coverage note a tougher retail backdrop and muted consumer demand in 2026, which could pressure comps if the macro trend weakens. Read More.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,046.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,012.06 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $998.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $951.50. 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 Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $449.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.63, a P/E/G ratio of 4.91 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.