Northstar Asset Management Inc. Reduces Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Northstar Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,023 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,449 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 3.8% of Northstar Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Northstar Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,118,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on COST. Roth Capital lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of COST opened at $961.05 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-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 firm has a market capitalization of $426.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $949.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $981.29.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

More 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 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.