Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Trimmed by Boston Trust Walden Corp

Boston Trust Walden Corp lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.6% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 112,809 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,969 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.9% of Boston Trust Walden Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Boston Trust Walden Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $112,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the first quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,991 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,981,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Stevens Capital Partners lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 27.5% in the 1st quarter. Stevens Capital Partners now owns 297 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,902 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,895,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. TSG Advice Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.7% in the first quarter. TSG Advice Partners LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 426.0% in the 1st quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE now owns 3,293 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,281,000 after buying an additional 2,667 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $951.67 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $991.42 and a 200-day moving average of $972.72. 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 stock has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88. 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 announced 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is still expanding its warehouse footprint, with new store plans reported in Florida, South Carolina and Southern California, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. Costco plans to build new warehouse in southern Hillsborough County
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat on Costco’s earnings power, with Erste Group raising FY2027 EPS estimates above consensus, signaling confidence in the retailer’s ability to keep growing profits.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Costco as a strong long-term compounder, supported by its membership model, cash generation, and resilient value proposition for consumers. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a possible 2026 stock split is generating attention, but it does not change Costco’s fundamentals and management has historically been cautious about splitting the stock. With Costco Trading Under $1,000, Is a Stock Split Still on the Table for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: One comparison piece versus Amazon and a holiday-closure story versus Sam’s Club are more about consumer habits and retail strategy than a direct change in Costco’s outlook. Growth Stock Showdown: Is Costco or Amazon the Better Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns Costco may be expensive on earnings and could face execution risks if fuel-related traffic tailwinds weaken, which could limit upside if growth slows. Costco’s Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Bank of America raised 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. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

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.