Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Banco Santander S.A.

Key Points

• Banco Santander S.A. increased its Costco stake by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, holding 33,456 shares worth about $28.85 million at quarter-end.
• Institutional ownership in Costco remains high, with funds and hedge funds owning 68.48% of the company’s shares. Several other investors also added to their positions during the period.
• Wall Street sentiment stays bullish: Costco has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with 22 Buy ratings and a consensus target price of $1,060.41, while analysts recently raised price targets and reiterated positive ratings.

Banco Santander S.A. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 6.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,456 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,089 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $28,850,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of 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. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

NASDAQ COST opened at $982.35 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $435.65 billion, a PE ratio of 49.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $1,005.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $966.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its 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). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 company posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Costco Wholesale Company 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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