Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Buffalo Business & Estate Services Ltd.

Buffalo Business & Estate Services Ltd. cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 5,880 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 570 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.9% of Buffalo Business & Estate Services Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Buffalo Business & Estate Services Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,859,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd 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. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of COST stock opened at $957.68 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $997.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $969.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $424.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released 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). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. 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. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial coverage say Costco’s membership model looks stronger, citing high renewal rates, executive upgrades, and solid membership-fee growth that could support future earnings. Is Costco Wholesale’s Membership Model Getting Even Stronger?
• Positive Sentiment: New store approvals and openings in Macon and Pensacola reinforce Costco’s continued warehouse expansion, which can drive long-term membership growth and sales. Coming Soon: New Costco approved for Macon Here’s when you can step inside Pensacola’s first Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage of Costco adding frozen Greek yogurt cups and other popular items highlights the retailer’s ability to keep members engaged with new, value-oriented products. Costco adds frozen Greek yogurt cups from brand customers call ‘top tier’
• Positive Sentiment: Several consumer-facing stories about savings, electronics, and discounted gift cards underline Costco’s appeal as a value destination, which supports traffic and retention. 10 Of The Coolest New Costco Electronics Of 2026 (So Far) Discover 5 Costco perks that can save retirees over $500 annually Costco Is Selling PlayStation Gift Cards At An Unbeatable Price
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail news about Amazon Prime Day and inflation is drawing attention to consumer spending and pricing pressure, but it is not directly specific to Costco’s near-term fundamentals. Amazon’s Prime Day sale could spur $26.3B in US e-commerce As Inflation Hits 3-Year High, These 2 ETFs Are Designed to Hedge Against Rising Costs
• Negative Sentiment: One report notes Costco members voicing inventory complaints, while a separate article on overstocked retailers suggests excess inventory and inflation remain challenges across retail, which could pressure margins if conditions worsen. Costco members voice surprising inventory complaint Retailers Overstocked to Avoid Tariffs. Then Inflation Hit.

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.