Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Swiss National Bank

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank increased its Costco stake by 7.3% in the first quarter, buying 88,200 additional shares and bringing its holding to 1,302,660 shares worth about $1.3 billion.
• Costco reported quarterly earnings of $4.93 per share, just below expectations, while revenue came in at $70.53 billion, slightly ahead of estimates. Shares were down about 0.5% and recently traded at $940.87.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable August 7, with an ex-dividend date of July 24, while analysts’ views remain mixed but overall lean toward a Moderate Buy rating.

Swiss National Bank raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 7.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,302,660 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 88,200 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.7% of Swiss National Bank's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.29% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,298,010,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th 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 during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $940.87 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $417.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.33, a PEG ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $975.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $977.54.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on COST. Roth Capital upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Costco to $20.52 from $20.49, slightly above the Street consensus of $20.38, suggesting analysts still see modest earnings upside. Earnings forecast boost article
• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a favorite dividend name, with its next ex-dividend date set for July 24, which may attract income-focused investors ahead of the payout. Dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: A profile of a longtime Costco cashier who became a millionaire highlights the company’s employee retention and compensation culture, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Employee profile article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several local news items about new warehouses, gas stations, and remodels point to ongoing store expansion and reinvestment, but they are not major stock-moving catalysts by themselves.
• Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat said Costco’s June sales showed cooling comparable sales and weak international results, keeping the stock in “neutral” territory despite its premium valuation. Cooling comp sales article
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from Zacks and Yahoo Finance argued Costco shares still look expensive after a strong multi-year run, reinforcing valuation concerns that can weigh on the stock. Valuation debate article

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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