Madison Asset Management LLC Purchases 5,459 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Madison Asset Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 33,040 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,459 shares during the period. Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $32,922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s warehouse expansion story remains intact, with plans for 26 net-new warehouses in fiscal 2026 and a strong international pipeline that could extend its growth runway. Why Costco’s Warehouse Growth Story Is Far From Over
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market-watch articles continue to frame COST as a high-quality long-term compounder, highlighting strong sales trends, a high membership renewal rate, and appeal for retirement investors. Costco Is a No-Brainer Buy for Retirement Investors Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Another upbeat take says Costco’s recent pullback from a 52-week high could be an attractive entry point if its continued double-digit comparable sales growth holds up. Price Prediction: Will Costco Hit a New-High This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains one of the most widely watched retail stocks, which can keep sentiment and trading volume elevated even without a major new catalyst. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were also pressured by a report that Costco may build standalone gas stations, a move some investors fear could weaken a key traffic-driving feature of its warehouses and hurt margins. Costco Stock (COST) Drops despite Bet on Standalone Gas Stations in Sales Push
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a concern for some commentators, with articles noting that strong quality metrics do not necessarily mean the stock is cheap at current levels. 3 Dividend Stocks That Pass Buffett’s Test: Buy, Sell or Hold?

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $935.80 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $974.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $978.81. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $415.01 billion, a PE ratio of 47.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid 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 is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

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.