Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 48,161 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,092,459 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 48,161 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,021,964,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st 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 during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Capital increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Medicare expansion creates a new growth opportunity. Costco is partnering with SCAN Group to offer Costco-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans in select states. The initiative targets Costco’s large senior-member base and gives the company exposure to the approximately $600 billion Medicare market without requiring it to become a traditional insurer. Costco to Offer Medicare Plans for Older Adults
• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its dividend by 13.1%. The increase reinforces the company’s strong cash-generation profile and may improve its appeal to income-oriented investors, although the stock’s high valuation limits its current dividend yield. Costco Just Upped Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Additional monetization opportunities could support long-term growth. Analysts and commentators point to Costco’s retail-media business, AI-powered search capabilities and pharmacy operations as emerging growth engines alongside membership renewals, warehouse expansion and Kirkland Signature products. Costco Is Quietly Building Its Next Big Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s relative resilience compared with Walmart highlights its value proposition. Walmart reported weaker U.S. traffic and comparable-sales growth, while Costco was less affected, suggesting its membership model and perceived value may be helping it navigate consumer affordability pressures. Walmart Drops on Slow Same-Store Sales Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: A potential stock split is speculative. Costco shares have appreciated substantially since the prior 2-for-1 split 26 years ago. A future split could improve accessibility and trading liquidity, but it would not change the company’s underlying value or fundamentals. Costco Stock Split Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and modest earnings pressure remain risks. Costco trades at a lofty earnings multiple, while its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite revenue exceeding expectations. That premium leaves less room for disappointment if membership growth, margins or consumer spending weaken.
• Negative Sentiment: The Medicare initiative will require execution. Entering a regulated, competitive insurance market could diversify revenue, but the pilot’s limited geographic rollout and potential healthcare-related complexity mean meaningful financial benefits may take time to develop. Costco Enters the Medicare Insurance Market

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $947.74 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $420.30 billion, a PE ratio of 47.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.87. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $947.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $981.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.