Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys New Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 178,283 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $166,778,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,876,000. Triton Financial Group Inc acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,836,000. Redwood Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,869,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $935,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,030,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Strong August sales: Net sales increased 9.9% year over year, with comparable sales rising across regions and digitally enabled sales advancing 17.9%. The figures point to resilient member demand and continued e-commerce momentum. Costco’s August Sales Rise 9.9% as Digital Growth Stays Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains broad: BTIG reiterated a Buy rating with a $1,125 target, while Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and $1,200 target. Analysts cited resilient core performance, market-share gains, and higher earnings estimates. BTIG Reaffirms Buy on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlighted Costco’s consistent dividend growth since 2004, membership model, customer loyalty, and potential for continued earnings expansion.
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion: Costco is reportedly considering a new location in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, supporting its long-term warehouse growth strategy, although the potential site has no immediate earnings impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst valuation signals: DA Davidson reaffirmed a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target, while Bernstein retained a Buy rating but lowered its target to $1,144, indicating less room for upside despite confidence in the business.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: Jim Cramer and other commentators argued that COST trades at roughly 43–49 times earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Cramer Says Costco at 49 Times Earnings Is the Mistake Loyal Shoppers Keep Making
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: The Department of Justice expanded a beef-pricing antitrust inquiry to Costco, seeking information on prices, costs, margins, purchasing, and supply-chain practices. Potential compliance costs or scrutiny could pressure sentiment. US DOJ Widens Beef Price Inquiry
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next shutdown: The company’s online marketplace reportedly went offline without notice, raising questions about its digital strategy, although the platform is not viewed as central to Costco’s core business. Costco Next Online Marketplace Shut Down

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,056.90.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $915.74 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $943.58 and a 200-day moving average of $977.46. 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 Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $406.11 billion, a PE ratio of 46.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.