Hanover Advisors Inc. Acquires Shares of 555 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Hanover Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 555 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $553,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in 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 valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. 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 buying an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting 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?

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.5%

COST opened at $935.80 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $415.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.07, a PEG ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50 day moving average is $974.46 and its 200-day moving average is $978.81. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released 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 company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.

About Costco Wholesale

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.