Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 71.7% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 67,791 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 28,301 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.4% of Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $67,549,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature is emerging as a growth engine. Expanded product offerings, pricing that is generally 15%–20% below national brands, and strong customer loyalty could improve Costco’s differentiation, margins and recurring sales. Costco’s Kirkland Brand Is Becoming a Powerful Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Expectations for fourth-quarter earnings are favorable. Wall Street reportedly anticipates a double-digit increase in earnings per share, providing a potential catalyst as investors assess whether Costco can sustain its growth premium. What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Q4 2026 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal and ancillary initiatives may support engagement. Record projected back-to-school spending, a trade-in program that provides gift cards for old electronics, and continued interest in Costco’s low-priced gasoline could drive traffic and reinforce the membership value proposition. Costco will take your old tech and gift you a gift card
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor opinions remain divided. Commentary presents Costco as a high-quality retailer that can continue rewarding investors, but also emphasizes recessionary consumer sentiment and a demanding valuation—currently around 48 times earnings—which could limit upside without strong results. Three Top Retail Stocks: Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel competition could pressure Costco’s traffic advantage. A new 7-Eleven gas discount challenges Costco’s reputation for cheap fuel, particularly as higher gasoline prices constrain household budgets. 7-Eleven has a gas discount that challenges Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang persists. Coverage of a $14 million email-promotion settlement and a separate lawsuit alleging heavy metals in Orgain protein powder raises potential reputational, compliance and financial risks, though the reported settlement is unlikely to materially affect Costco’s overall earnings. Costco Customers Could Claim Cash From $14 Million Settlement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” 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 assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $951.58 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $422.01 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business has a 50-day moving average of $963.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $981.10. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released 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). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.