Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Ltd. cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 44.7% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 72,891 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 58,951 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.2% of Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $68,187,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $1,144.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 4th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Freedom Broker raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,030.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $902.60 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $942.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $975.58. The firm has a market cap of $400.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders 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 0.7%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and expansion support the growth outlook. Freedom Broker upgraded Costco from “hold” to “buy” and assigned a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful upside. Separately, Costco plans to open 14 warehouses in the U.S. and Canada before year-end, which could expand membership, sales and long-term earnings. Freedom Broker upgrade and Costco expansion reports Costco warehouse expansion article
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal merchandising remains a membership benefit. Costco is adding a popular seasonal item to its lineup, reinforcing its strategy of offering limited-time and value-oriented products that can drive store traffic and encourage member purchases. Costco seasonal merchandise article
• Neutral Sentiment: Labor practices highlight Costco’s employee-retention advantage. A report about a meat cutter earning $32 per hour with benefits and job security underscores Costco’s reputation for relatively strong employee compensation. That may support service quality and retention, although higher labor costs could pressure margins over time. Costco employee compensation article
• Neutral Sentiment: Return-product resale operations provide limited incremental value. Reports that Costco sends some returned merchandise to liquidation auctions reveal a secondary channel for recovering value, but the financial impact appears too small to materially change the investment case. Costco returns and liquidation article
• Negative Sentiment: Costco reportedly shut down an online marketplace service. The abrupt closure raises questions about e-commerce execution and could disappoint investors seeking faster digital growth, even if the move ultimately reflects strategic streamlining. Costco online marketplace closure article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competitive concerns are weighing on sentiment. Commentary questioning whether Costco has lost some of its competitive edge, along with comparisons to lower-priced dollar stores, adds pressure to an already expensive stock. The recent underperformance makes investors less willing to pay a premium multiple without stronger growth. Costco competitive edge commentary

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.