Boston Trust Walden Corp Lowers Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp trimmed its Costco stake by 2.6% in the first quarter, selling 2,969 shares and leaving it with 112,809 shares valued at about $112.4 million.
• Other institutional investors also made mixed moves in COST, while 68.48% of Costco’s shares remain owned by institutions and hedge funds, underscoring continued strong Wall Street ownership.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Costco, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price of $1,061.45, even as the company posted slightly missed EPS in its latest quarterly report but beat revenue expectations and raised its dividend.

Boston Trust Walden Corp decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,809 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,969 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.9% of Boston Trust Walden Corp's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Boston Trust Walden Corp's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $112,406,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the first quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,991 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,981,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Stevens Capital Partners increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 27.5% during the 1st quarter. Stevens Capital Partners now owns 297 shares of the retailer's stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,902 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. TSG Advice Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.7% in the 1st quarter. TSG Advice Partners LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 426.0% during the 1st quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE now owns 3,293 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,281,000 after purchasing an additional 2,667 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two investment 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is still expanding its warehouse footprint, with new store plans reported in Florida, South Carolina and Southern California, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. Costco plans to build new warehouse in southern Hillsborough County
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat on Costco’s earnings power, with Erste Group raising FY2027 EPS estimates above consensus, signaling confidence in the retailer’s ability to keep growing profits. Analyst estimate update for Costco Wholesale Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Costco as a strong long-term compounder, supported by its membership model, cash generation, and resilient value proposition for consumers. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a possible 2026 stock split is generating attention, but it does not change Costco’s fundamentals and management has historically been cautious about splitting the stock. With Costco Trading Under $1,000, Is a Stock Split Still on the Table for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: One comparison piece versus Amazon and a holiday-closure story versus Sam’s Club are more about consumer habits and retail strategy than a direct change in Costco’s outlook. Growth Stock Showdown: Is Costco or Amazon the Better Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns Costco may be expensive on earnings and could face execution risks if fuel-related traffic tailwinds weaken, which could limit upside if growth slows. Costco's Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $951.67 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88. 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's 50 day simple moving average is $991.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $972.72.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

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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