Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Saudi Central Bank

Key Points

• Saudi Central Bank increased its Costco stake by 89.6% in the second quarter, acquiring 14,672 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 31,056 shares valued at approximately $29.1 million.
• Institutional investors own 68.48% of Costco’s stock, with major firms including Geode Capital, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Diamant Asset Management, and Corient Private Wealth also increasing their positions.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $1,056.03 price target, but Costco trades at a high valuation and shares have recently declined for eight consecutive sessions.

Saudi Central Bank grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 89.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 31,056 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 14,672 shares during the quarter. Saudi Central Bank's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $29,052,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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 related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $1,144.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Roth Capital upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $904.77 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market cap 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $940.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $974.50.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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