Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Takes $51.62 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System opened a new position in Costco, buying 51,800 shares valued at about $51.6 million. The stake now represents roughly 0.9% of the fund’s holdings and is its 11th largest position.
• Costco’s latest quarterly results were mixed: EPS missed estimates by $0.01 at $4.93, while revenue topped forecasts at $70.53 billion. Analysts still expect the company to generate 20.38 EPS for the current year.
• The company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and Wall Street remains broadly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 51,800 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $51,615,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.9% of Louisiana State Employees Retirement System's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Stories 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 Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $952.54 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. The firm's 50 day moving average is $996.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $970.54. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. 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 quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,061.45.

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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