Employees Retirement System of Texas Purchases 28,566 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Employees Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 126,915 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 28,566 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.9% of Employees Retirement System of Texas’ holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Employees Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $109,444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,176,286 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,739,039,000 after buying an additional 31,045 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,499,246,000 after buying an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,120,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,259 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating and kept its $1,185 price target, reinforcing the view that Costco (COST) still has upside if it delivers another solid quarter. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and options traders expect a meaningful post-earnings move, highlighting how much attention Costco is drawing heading into results. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage points to strong membership growth, digital gains, and AI-driven personalization as drivers of continued sales momentum for Costco. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple previews say Costco is well positioned for earnings, but its premium valuation may limit enthusiasm unless the company beats expectations convincingly. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A federal jury ruled against Costco in a disability discrimination case, adding a legal and compliance overhang and potential extra costs from attorneys’ fees. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted the shares are slipping ahead of earnings, reflecting investor caution and valuation concerns rather than a major operational setback. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,002.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,008.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $961.45. The company has a market cap of $444.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.15, a PEG ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis 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 currently 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.