Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Central Pacific Bank Trust Division

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 85.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,797 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,749 shares during the quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COST. Palisade Asset Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. grew its position 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 worth $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its position 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 worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its store footprint with construction underway for a new location near Kuna and Meridian, Idaho. The opening could support future sales, membership growth and regional convenience. Costco construction underway near Kuna border
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s low gasoline prices are designed to attract shoppers and increase warehouse visits. Although fuel itself generates limited profit, the strategy can indirectly lift merchandise sales, memberships and overall customer retention. Costco keeps its gas super cheap for a very specific reason
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a 92.2% U.S.-Canada renewal rate, growth in Executive memberships and improving digital retention. These trends reinforce Costco’s recurring-revenue model and suggest customer loyalty remains strong despite changes in membership mix. Costco’s Renewal Trends Point to Lasting Customer Loyalty
• Positive Sentiment: Reported changes aimed at resolving members’ biggest pain points could help Costco protect membership sales and retention, which are central to its profitability. Costco’s changes fix members’ biggest problems
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive attention around a frozen food item highlights Costco’s ability to generate value-oriented consumer engagement, but the product buzz is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. One of Costco’s best frozen items
• Negative Sentiment: Costco reportedly agreed to a $14 million settlement involving allegedly misleading “fake urgency” emails. The financial impact appears manageable for a company of Costco’s size, but the matter creates legal, compliance and reputational concerns. Costco’s $14M settlement over fake urgency emails

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $947.85 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $952.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $982.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $420.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 is currently 29.58%.

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.