Maloon Powers Pitre Higgins & Dennehy LLC Makes New $4.37 Million Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Maloon Powers Pitre Higgins & Dennehy LLC acquired 4,667 Costco shares worth approximately $4.37 million, making Costco its 16th-largest holding and 1.5% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $1,056.03, although ratings range from “Sell” to price targets as high as $1,200.
• Costco shares opened at $904.77 and have recently faced pressure, including eight consecutive lower closes; the stock trades at a high 45.51 P/E ratio, while a director also sold 885 shares worth about $847,000.

Maloon Powers Pitre Higgins & Dennehy LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,667 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,366,000. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.5% of Maloon Powers Pitre Higgins & Dennehy LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were 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 $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on COST. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Roth Capital boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $904.77 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $940.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $974.50. 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 company has a market cap of $401.25 billion, a PE ratio of 45.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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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