Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Strive Financial Group LLC

Strive Financial Group LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 73.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 530 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,460 shares during the quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $496,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Medicare expansion creates a new growth opportunity. Costco is partnering with SCAN Group to offer Costco-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans in select states. The initiative targets Costco’s large senior-member base and gives the company exposure to the approximately $600 billion Medicare market without requiring it to become a traditional insurer. Costco to Offer Medicare Plans for Older Adults
• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its dividend by 13.1%. The increase reinforces the company’s strong cash-generation profile and may improve its appeal to income-oriented investors, although the stock’s high valuation limits its current dividend yield. Costco Just Upped Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Additional monetization opportunities could support long-term growth. Analysts and commentators point to Costco’s retail-media business, AI-powered search capabilities and pharmacy operations as emerging growth engines alongside membership renewals, warehouse expansion and Kirkland Signature products. Costco Is Quietly Building Its Next Big Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s relative resilience compared with Walmart highlights its value proposition. Walmart reported weaker U.S. traffic and comparable-sales growth, while Costco was less affected, suggesting its membership model and perceived value may be helping it navigate consumer affordability pressures. Walmart Drops on Slow Same-Store Sales Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: A potential stock split is speculative. Costco shares have appreciated substantially since the prior 2-for-1 split 26 years ago. A future split could improve accessibility and trading liquidity, but it would not change the company’s underlying value or fundamentals. Costco Stock Split Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and modest earnings pressure remain risks. Costco trades at a lofty earnings multiple, while its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite revenue exceeding expectations. That premium leaves less room for disappointment if membership growth, margins or consumer spending weaken.
• Negative Sentiment: The Medicare initiative will require execution. Entering a regulated, competitive insurance market could diversify revenue, but the pilot’s limited geographic rollout and potential healthcare-related complexity mean meaningful financial benefits may take time to develop. Costco Enters the Medicare Insurance Market

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $947.74 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.67, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $947.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $981.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Capital raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target 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. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This 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. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.