Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Lowers Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,479 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,240 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $28,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,549,616,000 after acquiring an additional 2,497,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on COST shares. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Roth Capital raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,120.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market-share gains in Canada: Costco is now Canada’s second-largest grocery store chain, indicating continued customer adoption and potential for international growth. Costco Wholesale Is Now Canada’s Second Largest Grocery Store Chain
• Positive Sentiment: Resilient value proposition: Analysts continue to highlight Costco’s ability to attract and retain members through low prices, including inexpensive gasoline. This value positioning could support demand as consumers remain selective. Retail Stocks Poised for an Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion remains a growth driver: Seven additional U.S. locations are planned for 2026, adding warehouse capacity and supporting membership and sales growth over time. Seven New Costco Locations Coming in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Tariff-refund uncertainty: Costco says it will return tariff-related refunds to customers, but the timing and mechanics remain unclear. The policy may reinforce customer goodwill, although refunds could create temporary administrative and cash-flow considerations. Costco Tariff Refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational and competitive updates: Costco will close U.S. warehouses on September 7 for Labor Day, while rival BJ’s continues expanding. These developments are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings but highlight ongoing competitive dynamics. Costco Labor Day Closure
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: Despite a recent pullback, Costco’s roughly 48-times P/E ratio leaves limited room for execution misses. Moderating sales growth and potential margin pressure could keep investors cautious, particularly after the latest quarter narrowly missed EPS expectations. Is Costco Stock Worth Buying Now or Still Too Pricey to Touch?

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $961.05 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $949.77 and its 200 day moving average is $981.29. The company has a market cap of $426.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.34, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

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.