Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Lessened by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,173 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 12,524 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $26,057,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BNB Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $722,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 30,664 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $26,443,000 after acquiring an additional 3,552 shares in the last quarter. Align Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $205,314,000. American Trust lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. American Trust now owns 6,821 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,882,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 154,238 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $133,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,619 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on COST. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.1%

COST stock opened at $965.59 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $428.22 billion, a PE ratio of 48.57, a PEG ratio of 4.78 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 fifty day simple moving average of $1,003.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $968.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders 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 represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary pointed to Costco’s rising traffic, strong comparable sales, and gas-related member engagement as evidence that its value proposition continues to drive repeat visits and support growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco was included in a list of earnings-acceleration stocks, with commentary noting rising EPS growth trends that can precede stronger share performance. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: A separate article argued that Costco remains a durable long-term “buy and hold” business because of its loyal customer base and membership-driven model. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle pieces mentioned Costco shopping habits and product preferences, but these articles are not likely to materially affect the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary comparing Costco with Walmart and asking whether the stock can break $1,100 by 2027 mainly reflects valuation debate rather than a clear near-term catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Costco fell alongside other retail stocks even as lower gas prices and a broader oil-related relief theme were discussed, suggesting some short-term weakness may be driven by sector rotation rather than fundamentals. Article Title

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.