Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by CHICAGO TRUST Co NA

CHICAGO TRUST Co NA lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 16.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 5,025 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 705 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.8% of CHICAGO TRUST Co NA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,007,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 1st quarter valued at about $836,000. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 10.6% in the first quarter. Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors LLC now owns 627 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $625,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.4% during the first quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 8,052 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,023,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. Argent Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the first quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 1,572 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,566,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Vertrix Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the first quarter valued at about $848,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price 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. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $924.67 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $410.07 billion, a PE ratio of 46.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $992.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $972.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given 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 a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see Costco’s large cash position, low debt, and steady membership-fee stream as advantages that could help it keep investing through retail headwinds and support future growth. Can Costco Outgrow Retail Headwinds on Balance Sheet Strength?
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary also highlighted stronger executive membership penetration, which can boost higher-margin fee income and improve Costco’s sales mix, with additional growth potential from China expansion. Costco’s Executive Penetration Could Unlock More Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for Costco, signaling continued confidence in the company’s earnings power beyond the current fiscal year. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Articles focused on Costco’s growing footprint, including new Texas warehouse openings, reinforcing the company’s steady unit expansion and brand strength with consumers. Costco cashes in on 2 new Texas warehouses opening this summer. Here’s where
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent consumer-focused articles and opinion pieces about Costco products and shopping habits are not likely to move the stock much on their own. 7 Costco finds that help you save on warm-weather essentials
• Neutral Sentiment: One recent bullish article argued Costco can generate long-term passive income and capital appreciation, but this is more a thesis piece than a new catalyst. Want $3,000 in Annual Passive Income? Invest $146,000 in Costco in July and Wait 10 Years.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple recent write-ups warn that Costco’s valuation is expensive, with some analysts saying the stock’s strong multi-year run has left limited upside unless growth accelerates further. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary also suggested Costco may have more downside if investors keep focusing on slowing growth versus its premium earnings multiple. Costco Stock: More Pain To Come

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.