Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Danske Bank A S

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S increased its Costco stake by 10.3% in Q4, buying 31,208 shares to hold 334,495 shares worth about $288.45 million, making COST its 16th-largest position.
• Analysts remain largely bullish with a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and an average price target of $1,045.97, while several firms have recently lifted targets into the ~$1,100–$1,115 range.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88) with an ex-dividend date of May 1, implying a yield of roughly 0.6%.

Danske Bank A S lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 10.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 334,495 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 31,208 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.7% of Danske Bank A S's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Danske Bank A S owned about 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $288,448,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two investment 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,045.97.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

COST opened at $1,014.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $450.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of $996.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $949.91. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group nudged its FY2027 EPS forecast slightly higher for COST, a modest analyst upgrade that supports upside to consensus earnings expectations and reinforces investor confidence. Costco Stock — MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan research highlighted Costco as roughly “60% cheaper than traditional grocery,” underscoring its pricing advantage and the widening value gap versus peers — a tailwind for share gains during price-sensitive consumer periods. Costco Is '60% Cheaper Than Traditional Grocery,' Says JPMorgan
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer and coverage of CEO Ron Vachris’s comments from the Q2 call (emphasis on being first to cut prices and last to raise them) are reinforcing the narrative of resilient comp performance and margin management. That commentary is keeping investor sentiment constructive. Jim Cramer sends a message on Costco stock
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish retail pieces (e.g., 247WallStreet’s “I Can’t Stop Buying COST Stock”) and technical traders calling COST a stock “finding its footing” add buy-side interest and momentum-chasing flows. I Can’t Stop Buying COST Stock. Here’s Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed its long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo (format/ingredients) — a symbolic brand move that highlights operational choices but is unlikely to move near-term fundamentals materially. Costco quietly changes its $1.50 hot dog deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and comparison pieces (TipRanks / Fool coverage) reiterate Costco’s strong price competitiveness vs. WMT/AMZN but also contrast business models — useful context for positioning but not an immediate catalyst. COST vs WMT vs AMZN: ‘Costco Remains the Most Price Competitive,’ Analyst Says
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation debate: several pieces ask whether Costco’s strong YTD run leaves limited upside and whether investors are paying up for growth (articles questioning “is it too late?”), which can cap gains and encourage some profit-taking. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Year To Date Run?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive-framing pieces note Walmart’s evolving ad/data businesses as potential near-term upside versus Costco’s steadier membership model — a comparison that can shift some investor preference away from COST for tactical allocations. Costco vs. Walmart Stock: What's the Better Consumer Staples Buy?

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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