Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Draper Asset Management LLC

Draper Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 26.7% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,381 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 712 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.5% of Draper Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Draper Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,915,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 638.7% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $225,023,000 after purchasing an additional 196,537 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $158,189,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $987.21 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $437.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $995.77 and a 200 day moving average of $944.13. 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 data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several research reports. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,044.30.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raises quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), signaling strong cash flow and executive confidence; ex-dividend/record dates set and investors reacted favorably. Costco announces dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $1,100 and maintained an Outperform rating, giving an upside view that supports buying interest. Mizuho increases price target
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group and Wells Fargo have also lifted targets or reiterated positive views, underscoring steady execution and supporting momentum in the stock. Telsey and Wells Fargo raise targets
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion and product moves — a new store format planned for the west side of a major metroplex and exclusive product rollouts (e.g., Aussie Miracle Curls jumbo pack) highlight growth and differentiated merchandising. New store format for Metroplex
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and checks show Costco “selling a lot of gas,” which boosts transaction counts and basket sizes — but commentary notes a “catch” (durability/price sensitivity of gas-driven traffic) that makes the benefit uneven. Gas sales boost but with caveat
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note Costco’s Japan expansion and membership model as durable long-term positives, but these are longer-horizon drivers rather than immediate catalysts. Japan growth story
• Negative Sentiment: Local competition — reports that Sam’s Club and BJ’s are gaining traction in some markets — could pressure share gains in contested trade areas and is a watch item for market-share risk. Competitors gaining traction

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.