Axxcess Wealth Management LLC Buys 129,601 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Axxcess Wealth Management sharply increased its Costco stake by 853.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 129,601 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 144,786 shares worth about $124.9 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Costco, with analysts maintaining a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $1,052.60 despite some more cautious views on valuation.
• Costco continues to post solid fundamentals, recently beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates and raising its dividend to $1.47 per share, though the stock’s rich valuation may limit upside if results merely meet expectations.

Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 853.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 144,786 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 129,601 shares during the quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $124,854,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,911,331,000 after acquiring an additional 34,826 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,499,246,000 after purchasing an additional 127,495 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,120,787,000 after purchasing an additional 8,259 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Costco heading into its Q3 update, with UBS raising its price target and reiterating a buy rating, citing expectations for another solid quarter and continued membership-driven resilience.
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Costco’s strong 2026 run, including fresh all-time highs, continued expansion, and investor interest in the stock as a high-quality defensive retailer with steady renewal trends.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming holiday trading hours and broader market comments are not company-specific, but they keep Costco in a generally supportive market backdrop as the Nasdaq and S&P 500 remain near record levels. Stock Market To Close For Memorial Day. Here Are Wall Street's Holiday Hours.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains a focal point for traders ahead of earnings, with preview pieces suggesting expectations are already elevated and that the company may need only steady results, not a blowout, to support the stock. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is falling largely in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, raising concerns that consumer spending is more pressured than expected and dragging on other big-box retailers. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart's Q1 Report: What's Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader articles also point to Costco’s rich valuation and high expectations ahead of earnings, which could limit upside if the company merely meets forecasts rather than significantly beats them.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,050.45 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,007.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $959.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $466.04 billion, a PE ratio of 54.63, a PEG ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's 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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