Erste Asset Management GmbH Buys 7,007 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 42.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,609 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,007 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $22,297,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on COST. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Twenty-two equities research 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $961.05 on Friday. 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 $426.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $949.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $981.29.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results 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). 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale 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.