BNP Paribas Raises Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

BNP Paribas increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 523.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,107 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,769 shares during the period. BNP Paribas' holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,996,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $915.74 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $942.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $976.78. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market cap of $406.11 billion, a PE ratio of 46.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco’s fourth-quarter net sales increased 11.3% year over year to $93.9 billion. Digitally enabled comparable sales rose 19.5%, substantially outpacing overall growth and highlighting continued momentum in e-commerce and omnichannel shopping. Costco's Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: August sales remained robust: Costco reported a 9.9% year-over-year increase in August sales, driven by strong U.S. comparable-store performance and record digital growth. The update gives investors further evidence that membership and customer traffic remain resilient. Costco Reports Double-Digit Growth in August 2026 Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday closures are routine: Costco closed its U.S. warehouses for Labor Day, consistent with its long-standing policy of shutting stores on seven holidays annually. The practice may reinforce the company’s employee-focused culture but has no meaningful near-term earnings impact. Most national retailers close on 2 holidays. Costco shuts down for 7.
• Neutral Sentiment: Membership loyalty remains a theme: Coverage of members with decades-long Costco relationships underscores the strength of the retailer’s recurring membership model, though it provides limited new financial information. What Happens If You Are A Costco Member For Over 40 Years?
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier relationship risk: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a functional-beverage company’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights the importance—and potential volatility—of major retail partnerships. Loss of Costco deal helps push beverage brand into Chapter 11

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Roth Capital raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. 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 research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,056.90.

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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