Aspen Investment Management Inc Grows Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Aspen Investment Management increased its Costco stake by 175.1% in the fourth quarter, buying 951 more shares and bringing its total to 1,494 shares worth about $1.29 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to their positions, and hedge funds and other institutions own 68.48% of Costco’s stock, underscoring strong institutional interest.
• Analysts remain broadly upbeat on Costco, with 22 Buy ratings and an average target price of $1,052.60; the company also recently posted earnings and revenue that topped expectations and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share.

Aspen Investment Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 175.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,494 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 951 shares during the period. Aspen Investment Management Inc's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,288,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brown Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Wealth Management LLC now owns 305 shares of the retailer's stock worth $282,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 655 shares of the retailer's stock worth $606,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,906,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on COST. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,052.60.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 and kept a buy rating, signaling confidence that the stock still has room to run ahead of earnings. Benzinga report on UBS target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to back Costco into Q3, with commentary that strong membership renewals and steady traffic may be enough to support another solid quarter even if results are not spectacular. TipRanks article
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be steering more shoppers to warehouse clubs like Costco for discounted fuel, which could lift traffic and reinforce the company’s value proposition. Benzinga article on gas-driven traffic
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles highlighted Costco’s strong 2026 performance, record highs, and speculation about a future stock split, all of which can keep investor enthusiasm elevated. Yahoo Finance article on stock split speculation
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage around new food court items, UK store updates, and Costco being a trending stock may help keep the brand in the spotlight, but these headlines are unlikely to materially change the near-term earnings picture.
• Negative Sentiment: Some traders are taking profits after the stock’s strong recent rally and six-session winning streak, which is contributing to the pullback today. MSN article on pullback after winning streak
• Negative Sentiment: Costco faces a high expectations bar heading into Q3 results, so even a good report could disappoint if it does not exceed the market’s elevated hopes. Yahoo Finance article on high expectations

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $1,006.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $958.67. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $476.48 billion, a PE ratio of 55.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

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.

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