PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co Buys 4,000 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 15,500 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.2% of PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,347,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the third quarter. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,962 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,370,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 35,520 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $32,622,000 after purchasing an additional 3,838 shares in the last quarter. Bangor Savings Bank grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 1,037 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $960,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 135.0% during the 3rd quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC now owns 12,603 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,666,000 after purchasing an additional 7,240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 6,882 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,371,000 after purchasing an additional 1,097 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales/same-store strength — Costco reported strong December sales and accelerating comps (digital sales up sharply), a key driver for renewed investor buying and higher traffic/ticket trends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgrade — Mizuho moved COST to its top-picks list and upgraded the stock to Outperform with a higher price target (~$1,000), which supports buying interest from institutional and retail investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: New card perk — A newly reported credit-card perk for Costco members could lift transaction volume and loyalty over time, supporting same-store sales and margins. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion visible on the ground — Local reports (e.g., Camarillo) show continued warehouse/gas station construction, underscoring ongoing footprint growth that supports membership and revenue expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and valuation — Consensus remains generally bullish (average target ~ $996) but the stock trades at a premium (P/E ~50), meaning upside depends on continued sales/margin strength rather than multiple expansion. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term features — Several opinion pieces reiterate Costco’s long-term case (membership model, international expansion) but add no new near-term catalysts. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data glitch — A short-interest report flagged a “significant increase” but shows zero shares/days-to-cover, suggesting a data error rather than genuine short pressure; treat headlines cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (~$1.37M) on Jan. 9, cutting his stake by ~15.4%; while small relative to institutional ownership, insider sales can be perceived negatively by some traders. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $943.08 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $892.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $930.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.51, a PEG ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.04 EPS. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,446 shares of company stock worth $9,549,528. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.