Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 6,640 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $6,211,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.9% of Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
- Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
- Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
- Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
- Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
- Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
- Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target
Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale
In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents 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 at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Costco Wholesale Price Performance
Shares of COST opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $945.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $979.60. The stock has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a PE ratio of 47.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. 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.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. 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%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a "sector perform" rating and a $1,000.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,059.53.
View Our Latest Stock Report on COST
Costco Wholesale Profile
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Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

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