Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Purchases 1,367 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise boosted its Costco stake by 30.8% in the first quarter, buying 1,367 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 5,811 shares worth about $5.79 million.
• Institutional interest in Costco remains strong overall, with large investors like Norges Bank and others making sizable additions; the article says 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Costco, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $1,061.45, even as the stock recently traded below its 50-day average and some commentary noted short-term valuation pressure.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 30.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,811 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,367 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,790,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish articles highlighted Costco’s resilient membership model, strong sales growth, high renewal rates, and ongoing global expansion, reinforcing the view that the business remains fundamentally solid. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pieces suggested Costco may have further upside, with some citing a path back toward $1,000 per share and broader appeal as a defensive retailer in volatile markets. Costco Stock Price Prediction: A Path to $1,000 and Double-Digit Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Costco’s cash generation raised the possibility of another special dividend later in 2026, which could be an additional catalyst for income-focused investors. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco was also mentioned in store-opening and local expansion stories, which point to continued growth but do not appear to be major immediate stock catalysts. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where
• Neutral Sentiment: A director, Kenneth D. Denman, sold 885 shares in a disclosed SEC filing. The sale was relatively small versus his remaining stake, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful short position in the shares, so this report does not suggest a major bearish thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary noted Costco’s stock has been under pressure recently despite solid fundamentals, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking may be limiting near-term upside. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $942.24 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $996.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $970.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $417.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for 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 company posted $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast 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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company 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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