BLB&B Advisors LLC Has $21.02 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• BLB&B Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in Costco to 24,380 shares (down 5.1%), leaving a position worth $21.02 million that represents about 0.9% of the firm's holdings and ranks as its 26th largest holding.
• Other institutions materially reshuffled positions—most notably Assenagon raised its Costco stake by 1,586.8% to 1,137,436 shares (≈$980.9M), while Amundi, Voloridge and others also added large blocks, leaving institutional ownership at about 68.48%.
• Costco beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.58 vs. $4.55) with revenue up 9.2% YoY, but the stock carries a premium valuation (PE ~50.7, PEG ~4.8); analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" and a price target near $1,043.13.

BLB&B Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,380 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,310 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.9% of BLB&B Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. BLB&B Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,024,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position 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 worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 638.7% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer's stock worth $225,023,000 after purchasing an additional 196,537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $158,189,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales and comps were robust, with reports of a mid-single-digit to high-single-digit comps jump and strong digital growth, supporting the case for continued top-line strength and membership-driven resilience. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now After Strong March Retail Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: International sales are outpacing U.S. growth in March, signaling that overseas markets are becoming a larger part of Costco’s growth mix—a constructive diversification of revenue drivers. Costco's International Sales Surge Signals Shift in Growth Mix
• Positive Sentiment: Higher fuel prices are already boosting Costco’s fuel sales and foot traffic, which can lift comps and average ticket—even as consumers remain price-aware. Higher Gas Prices Are Already Having a Positive Impact on Costco's Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is pursuing U.K. expansion (Aylesford/Kent), launching a public consultation and creating jobs—local openings can boost international footprint and long-term member growth. Aylesford earmarked for Kent’s first Costco as wholesaler launches public consultation
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains generally favorable (consensus “Moderate Buy”), keeping analyst support intact despite mixed near-term views. Costco Wholesale Corporation NASDAQ: COST Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: New product/food-court items and popular low-priced apparel/gadget features keep customer engagement high but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Costco Introduces New Caramel and Churro Soft Serve Sundae Dessert to Food Court
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a headwind—commentary highlights a premium P/E and a PEG that could limit upside; some analysts caution that the high multiple and recent pullback make further gains dependent on continued execution. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now After Strong March Retail Sales?
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/near-term pressure: the stock has pulled back from recent highs and sits below its 50-day moving average, which can prompt short-term selling by momentum-focused traders. Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,043.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $974.80 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.47 billion, a PE ratio of 50.69, a PEG ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $995.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $943.54.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 2,038 shares of company stock valued at $2,007,916. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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