4,663 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Purchased by Bank OZK

Key Points

• Bank OZK purchased 4,663 Costco shares worth approximately $4.36 million during the second quarter, making Costco its 20th-largest holding and 1.3% of its portfolio.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of Costco, while director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares for about $847,000; insiders retain only 0.10% ownership.
• Costco shares opened at $915.74, with a market capitalization of $406.1 billion and a valuation of 46.06 times earnings. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.47, or $5.88 annually, yielding about 0.6%, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating.

Bank OZK bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 4,663 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,362,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.3% of Bank OZK's portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the business'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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $915.74 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $406.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. 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 business's 50 day simple moving average is $943.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $977.46.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong August sales: Net sales increased 9.9% year over year, with comparable sales rising across regions and digitally enabled sales advancing 17.9%. The figures point to resilient member demand and continued e-commerce momentum. Costco's August Sales Rise 9.9% as Digital Growth Stays Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains broad: BTIG reiterated a Buy rating with a $1,125 target, while Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and $1,200 target. Analysts cited resilient core performance, market-share gains, and higher earnings estimates. BTIG Reaffirms Buy on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlighted Costco’s consistent dividend growth since 2004, membership model, customer loyalty, and potential for continued earnings expansion.
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion: Costco is reportedly considering a new location in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, supporting its long-term warehouse growth strategy, although the potential site has no immediate earnings impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst valuation signals: DA Davidson reaffirmed a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target, while Bernstein retained a Buy rating but lowered its target to $1,144, indicating less room for upside despite confidence in the business.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: Jim Cramer and other commentators argued that COST trades at roughly 43–49 times earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Cramer Says Costco at 49 Times Earnings Is the Mistake Loyal Shoppers Keep Making
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: The Department of Justice expanded a beef-pricing antitrust inquiry to Costco, seeking information on prices, costs, margins, purchasing, and supply-chain practices. Potential compliance costs or scrutiny could pressure sentiment. US DOJ Widens Beef Price Inquiry
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next shutdown: The company’s online marketplace reportedly went offline without notice, raising questions about its digital strategy, although the platform is not viewed as central to Costco’s core business. Costco Next Online Marketplace Shut Down

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on COST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,091.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday. UBS Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of 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. Finally, Oppenheimer raised 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 note on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,056.90.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.