New York State Teachers Retirement System Lowers Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

New York State Teachers Retirement System decreased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 350,222 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 12,165 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.6% of New York State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. New York State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $302,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST traded up $12.95 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $1,011.62. 370,859 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,097,931. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $996.40 and a 200-day moving average of $949.46. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market cap of $448.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.69, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,045.97.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts & research highlight Costco’s widening price advantage vs. traditional grocers, supporting share gains through stronger traffic and member retention. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Investor/critic pieces are bullish — e.g., a 247WallSt columnist outlines why they keep buying COST, reinforcing momentum-driven retail interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Broker/upside revisions and dividend moves add fundamental support: Erste raised FY2027 EPS assumptions slightly, and Costco was listed among firms increasing dividends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Costco as the most price-competitive club retailer versus peers (Walmart, Amazon), which helps defend market share in a price-sensitive consumer environment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco adjusted its long-running $1.50 hot-dog combo (menu/composition changes were reported) but kept the price, a symbolic move with limited direct earnings impact—more PR than profit driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: New product introductions and merchandising wins (e.g., Häagen‑Dazs flavor rollouts at Costco) support foot traffic but are incremental to core membership economics. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators note Costco’s premium valuation (Cramer: “never ever cheap”), a reminder that near-term upside could be capped absent accelerating comps or margin beats. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive divergence: some analysts argue Walmart’s evolving high‑margin ad/data business gives it more near-term upside than Costco, highlighting relative growth and multiple expansion risks for COST. That view may temper upside for investors looking for multi-bagger returns. Read More.

About Costco Wholesale

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.