Gould Capital LLC Grows Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Gould Capital LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 339.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,575 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,762 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 1.9% of Gould Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Gould Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,083,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of COST stock opened at $982.35 on Friday. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,005.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $966.74. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $435.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

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.