Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Trims Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Kornitzer Capital Management trimmed its position in Costco by 2.0%, selling 2,006 shares and leaving 97,946 shares worth about $84.46 million — roughly 1.8% of the fund’s portfolio and its sixth-largest holding.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $4.58 and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% YoY), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 ($5.88 annualized).
• Wall Street shows a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $1,045.97 average target, but the shares trade at a premium (P/E ~52.6), prompting some concerns about limited upside if growth slows.

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 97,946 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,006 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.8% of Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $84,463,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amy’s Kitchen will roll select frozen meals into more than 150 Costco warehouses across key U.S. markets, expanding fresh/organic assortment and potentially boosting food sales and member engagement. Amy's Kitchen Lands Costco Distribution in Three Major Markets, Bringing Organic Frozen Meals to Millions of Members
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is hiring ahead of a new Guilderland, NY warehouse opening — a sign of continued unit growth that supports revenue and membership expansion over time. Costco begins hiring as opening of Guilderland warehouse nears
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market pieces highlight Costco’s strong membership metrics and ability to convert members to higher-fee Executive tiers, supporting recurring revenue and margins. This ongoing narrative underpins bullish views despite macro uncertainty. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received recognition in TIME’s influential companies coverage, reinforcing brand strength that supports long-term customer loyalty and pricing power. Costco Wholesale
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail-focused stories on seasonal merchandise and promotions (patio furniture roundups, a Dyson sale) reflect normal merchandising and traffic drivers but are routine and unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. 9 Costco Patio Dining Furniture Sets To Look For In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed elements of its long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo (product tweaks, price intact), a brand-story item that signals attention to costs but keeps the iconic price point. Costco changed the hot dog combo after 40 years. Is it still $1.50? Here's what to know
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces question whether COST’s strong YTD performance and premium valuation leave ample upside from current levels, highlighting its high P/E and recent run — a valuation headwind that can pressure the stock if growth expectations slip. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Year To Date Run?

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.3%

COST opened at $1,011.70 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $448.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.61, a P/E/G ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.92. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $996.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $949.91. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

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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