Janus Henderson Group PLC Has $387.40 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 388,793 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,630 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $387,400,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is reportedly testing a new gasoline-sales strategy that could expand fuel-related revenue and potentially make gas stations a more meaningful contributor to the company’s business model. The long-term opportunity could support investor interest if the experiment improves traffic, margins, or membership economics. Costco: A New Experiment With Gasoline Sales Could Fundamentally Transform The Company
• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to receive favorable momentum coverage, supported by its loyal membership base, resilient sales, and long-term earnings and dividend-growth record. A new hydration-product partnership with Coco5 also gives the retailer another branded product aimed at health-conscious shoppers. Here’s Why Costco Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The Federal Reserve held interest rates at 3.5%-3.75%. Stable rates avoid an immediate financing shock, but elevated borrowing costs can limit consumer spending and keep pressure on richly valued retail stocks. Costco’s valuation remains demanding, with a reported forward earnings multiple near 48 and a PEG ratio above 4.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Walmart frame Costco as a high-quality retailer with strong customer loyalty and digital growth, but investors must balance those strengths against its higher valuation and expectations for continued execution.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco agreed to a $14 million settlement involving allegations that promotional emails sent to Washington shoppers used misleading expiration language. Costco denies wrongdoing, but the settlement may create reputational and compliance concerns. Costco’s $14 Million Email Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: An animal-welfare investigation alleging severe mistreatment and biosecurity failures at an organic chicken supplier linked to Costco could increase scrutiny of the company’s supply-chain oversight and create potential legal or reputational costs.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s reported quarterly earnings slightly missed consensus estimates, despite revenue exceeding expectations. Combined with its elevated valuation, even modest earnings disappointments can weigh on the stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

COST stock opened at $955.17 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $423.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.05, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average of $956.95 and a 200-day moving average of $982.32.

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). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Bank of America lifted 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. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale 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.