First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Lowers Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 66.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,900 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 11,503 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,879,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $929.22 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $972.60 and its 200-day moving average is $979.28. The company has a market cap of $412.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.74, a price-to-earnings-growth 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. 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 issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for 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 in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is being praised for its long runway for expansion, with analysts pointing to plans for 26 net-new warehouses in fiscal 2026 and a broader international pipeline. Why Costco’s Warehouse Growth Story Is Far From Over
• Positive Sentiment: New store-opening reports, including more locations coming in 2026 and a new Clarksville site, reinforce Costco’s continued footprint expansion and should support revenue growth expectations. 8 more Costco stores are coming in 2026. Is Ohio getting one? Costco coming to Freedom Farms in Clarksville
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s pharmacy and prescription-service expansion could make memberships more valuable and increase customer loyalty and visit frequency. Costco expands pharmacy, prescription services for members
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around new premium items, such as Laifen hair dryers in stores, suggests Costco is still expanding its product assortment and strengthening its appeal to higher-spending members. Costco (COST) Brings Laifen Hair Dryer To Stores In Its Biggest US Retail Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a strong long-term compounder and a potential future trillion-dollar company, which is supportive sentiment but not a near-term catalyst. Prediction: Costco Will Join the $1 Trillion Club by 2033
• Neutral Sentiment: Other commentary focused on Costco as a high-quality dividend or retirement holding, while also noting valuation concerns versus peers; this keeps the stock in the spotlight but does not change the business outlook immediately. Costco Is a Compelling Investment Opportunity, but This Stock Could Be an Even Better Buy Costco Is a No-Brainer Buy for Retirement Investors Right Now
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlighted that COST has pulled back from recent highs and remains expensive on earnings metrics, which may be weighing on near-term trading. Price Prediction: Will Costco Hit a New-High This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One report noted the stock edged lower even as Costco reportedly plans standalone gas stations, suggesting investors may be taking a cautious approach to the expansion news. Costco Stock (COST) Drops despite Bet on Stand-Alone Gas Stations in Sales Push

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.