Madison Asset Management LLC Purchases New Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 33,457 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $31,298,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Csenge Advisory Group bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,123,000. Planning Directions Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $208,000. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,925,000. Shepherd Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,275,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,895,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on COST. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $945.47 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $945.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $979.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $419.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could boost engagement: Costco is now offering delivery for customizable sheet cakes and party platters, improving convenience and potentially encouraging larger, higher-margin event-related purchases. Costco delivery for cakes and party platters
• Positive Sentiment: Physical expansion continues: Costco opened its first warehouse in Celina, Texas, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. New locations can add membership revenue and sales over time, although the financial contribution will develop gradually. Costco opens Celina store
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term investor appeal remains intact: Commentary highlights Costco’s strong competitive moat, membership economics and potential for dividend growth. Its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans also provides a potential new customer-engagement channel. Costco Medicare partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy is both a strength and a challenge: Costco continues to hold its iconic rotisserie chicken at $4.99 by controlling production costs. The price reinforces customer loyalty, but inflation and supply costs could pressure margins if the company maintains the price indefinitely. Costco rotisserie chicken and inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and valuation concerns are weighing on sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while contesting a related class-action lawsuit, creating uncertainty over costs and potential liabilities. Separately, the stock’s high earnings multiple and position below its 200-day moving average leave it vulnerable to profit-taking; its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite a revenue beat. Costco tariff refunds and lawsuit

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.