Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Aspen Investment Management Inc

Aspen Investment Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 175.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,494 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 951 shares during the period. Aspen Investment Management Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,006.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $958.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $476.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.85, a PEG ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective for the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Mizuho raised their price objective 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. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,052.60.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 and kept a buy rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run ahead of earnings. Benzinga report on UBS target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to back Costco into Q3, with commentary that strong membership renewals and steady traffic may be enough to support another solid quarter even if results are not spectacular. TipRanks article
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be steering more shoppers to warehouse clubs like Costco for discounted fuel, which could lift traffic and reinforce the company’s value proposition. Benzinga article on gas-driven traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles highlighted Costco’s strong 2026 performance, record highs, and speculation about a future stock split, all of which can keep investor enthusiasm elevated. Yahoo Finance article on stock split speculation
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage around new food court items, UK store updates, and Costco being a trending stock may help keep the brand in the spotlight, but these headlines are unlikely to materially change the near-term earnings picture.
• Negative Sentiment: Some traders are taking profits after the stock’s strong recent rally and six-session winning streak, which is contributing to the pullback today. MSN article on pullback after winning streak
• Negative Sentiment: Costco faces a high expectations bar heading into Q3 results, so even a good report could disappoint if it does not exceed the market’s elevated hopes. Yahoo Finance article on high expectations

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.