Corient Private Wealth LP Decreases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Corient Private Wealth LP reduced its Costco stake by 0.6% in the second quarter, selling 4,280 shares and retaining 754,706 shares valued at approximately $706 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with 22 Buy ratings, 12 Holds, and one Sell, resulting in a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,056.03.
• Costco shares opened at $904.77, below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while the company maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, equivalent to a 0.6% annual yield.

Corient Private Wealth LP trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 0.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 754,706 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,280 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.0% of Corient Private Wealth LP's holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Corient Private Wealth LP owned approximately 0.17% of Costco Wholesale worth $706,008,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in COST. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on COST. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. Roth Capital lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,056.03.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s recent August and fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 sales results supported an analyst upgrade from “hold” to “buy,” accompanied by a $1,030 price target. The data were viewed as evidence of resilient consumer demand and improving visibility into retail trends. Analyst upgrade following sales reports
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts maintain substantially higher targets, including targets of $1,100 to $1,200, arguing that Costco’s membership model, recurring sales, and execution could support further valuation upside. Costco price prediction
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Costco’s ability to compete with Walmart and Amazon, while planned warehouse openings—including a reported $42 million Texas development and additional U.S. and Canadian locations—could expand its membership and sales base. Costco competition and growth
• Positive Sentiment: An Accenture survey suggests consumers may begin holiday shopping unusually early and spend more than in 2025, a potentially favorable backdrop for Costco’s seasonal merchandise and grocery sales. Holiday shopping outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable overall, with Costco carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating, but the stock’s elevated valuation means continued earnings and sales growth may be required to justify further gains. Costco brokerage rating
• Neutral Sentiment: New warehouse projects and relocations should support long-term expansion, although local traffic concerns around one planned location could delay or complicate development. Lee’s Summit Costco development
• Negative Sentiment: Costco shares have closed lower for eight consecutive sessions, raising concerns about a technical or valuation-driven correction despite strong operating results.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity consisted of two sales and no purchases, while reports that Costco is rationing motor oil point to potential product-availability and supply-chain pressures.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was 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. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $904.77 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $401.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $940.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $974.42. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.

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