Apollon Wealth Management LLC Purchases 7,834 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Apollon Wealth Management increased its Costco stake by 16.6% in the first quarter, buying 7,834 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 55,033 shares worth about $54.8 million.
• Several analysts remain constructive on Costco, with recent target-price increases from firms like Raymond James, UBS, and Bernstein; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $1,061.45.
• Costco’s latest quarter showed revenue above expectations but earnings per share slightly missed estimates, while the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30.

Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 16.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 55,033 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 7,834 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.9% of Apollon Wealth Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Apollon Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $54,837,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC now owns 340 shares of the retailer's stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. DDFG Inc raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. DDFG Inc now owns 432 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. LifeSteps Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. LifeSteps Financial Inc. now owns 1,638 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,632,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Aspire Private Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 1st quarter valued at $220,000. Finally, Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 137.9% in the first quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 13,858 shares of the retailer's stock worth $13,809,000 after purchasing an additional 8,032 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein named Costco one of its top retail picks for the rest of 2026, reinforcing the view that the company remains a long-term winner thanks to its strong membership model, resilient traffic, and steady share gains. Costco Stock (COST) Crowned Top Retail Pick for the Rest of 2026 — Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: New coverage highlighted Costco’s AI efforts, noting that the company is using artificial intelligence to improve product listings and search, with digital traffic reportedly tripling and conversion rates strengthening. Costco (COST) Is Using AI To Triple Digital Traffic And Lift Conversions
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to Costco’s durable growth drivers, including high membership renewal rates, new warehouse openings, fuel stations, and e-commerce expansion, supporting the bull case for continued earnings growth. Can Costco Stock Reach $1,000 by the End of 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco-related lifestyle and product stories, including new bakery and bagel items, may help keep customers engaged, but they are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. Costco shoppers are craving a hot new bakery item: ‘Give me 30’
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi’s resumed coverage with a Neutral rating and $1,020 target suggests Costco is viewed as a strong business, but with limited upside at current levels, which can temper enthusiasm near-term. Citi Resumes Coverage of Costco (COST)
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary raised valuation and growth concerns, arguing that Costco’s premium multiple leaves less room for upside and that one of its key growth engines could be slowing, helping explain why the shares slipped despite positive headlines. Costco's secret growth engine may be running out of gas

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $946.68 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock's 50-day moving average is $995.26 and its 200-day moving average is $971.53. The company has a market cap of $419.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.62, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week 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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 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.

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