Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Buys New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 51,800 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $51,615,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.9% of Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of COST stock opened at $952.54 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $996.07 and a 200-day moving average of $970.54. The stock has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

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.