Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Diamant Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• Diamant Asset Management dramatically increased its Costco stake in the first quarter, ending with 6.73 million shares worth about $672.7 million, making COST its 11th-largest holding.
• Costco’s latest quarterly results were mixed: it posted $4.93 EPS, just below estimates, while revenue of $70.53 billion came in slightly above expectations. Analysts still project full-year EPS of 20.38.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 99,278.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 2.2% of Diamant Asset Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Diamant Asset Management Inc. owned 1.52% of Costco Wholesale worth $672,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $952.54 on Monday. 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 $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $996.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $971.12.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, 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 available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

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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