AA Financial Advisors LLC Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• AA Financial Advisors LLC more than doubled its Costco stake in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 118.1% to 2,576 shares valued at about $2.57 million. Several other institutional investors also added to positions, and institutional ownership of Costco stands at 68.48%.
• Analysts remain constructive on Costco, with multiple firms recently raising price targets and keeping buy-equivalent ratings. Overall, Costco has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.
• Costco reported mixed quarterly results and raised its dividend: earnings per share came in at $4.93, just below estimates, while revenue of $70.53 billion beat expectations. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.47 from $1.30, lifting the annualized payout to $5.88.

AA Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 118.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,576 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,395 shares during the quarter. AA Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,567,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Independent Wealth Network Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 1,097 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Grey Ledge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the first quarter. Grey Ledge Advisors LLC now owns 4,126 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $4,111,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% in the first quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,583 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,563,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. Urban Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 30.6% in the first quarter. Urban Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,264 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,256,000 after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the first quarter worth about $51,615,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Telsey Advisory Group lifted 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. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $952.54 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $996.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $970.54. The stock has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. 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 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 analysts' expectations 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 firm posted $4.28 EPS. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

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.

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