National Pension Service Purchases 33,151 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• National Pension Service increased its Costco position by 3.6%, purchasing 33,151 shares to reach 966,727 shares valued at approximately $904.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with 22 Buy, 12 Hold, and one Sell rating. Costco has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $1,056.03.
• Costco shares opened at $901.35, while the company maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, equivalent to a 0.7% yield. Director Kenneth Denman also sold 885 shares, reducing his position by 15.62%.

National Pension Service lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 966,727 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 33,151 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned about 0.22% of Costco Wholesale worth $904,344,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. WINTON GROUP Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 805.1% during the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 4,960 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,640,000 after buying an additional 4,412 shares during the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.2% in the second quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,825 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,643,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.2% in the second quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. now owns 421 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $394,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Insight Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.1% during the second quarter. Insight Wealth Partners LLC now owns 287 shares of the retailer's stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.4% during the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,485 shares of the retailer's stock worth $6,067,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on COST. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,091.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 4th. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $1,030.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $1,144.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Twenty-two investment 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 MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $901.35 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $399.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.34, a P/E/G ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 0.86. 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 business's 50 day simple moving average is $938.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $973.21.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to open 10 new warehouses over the next two months, supporting long-term membership growth, sales expansion and geographic reach. Costco has 10 new stores opening in the next two months
• Positive Sentiment: E-commerce sales increased 17.9% in August and 20.9% for fiscal 2026, indicating that digital operations are becoming a meaningful additional growth engine alongside Costco’s warehouses. Costco's E-commerce Momentum Keeps Its Growth Engine Running
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results later this month, making upcoming sales, membership and margin trends important near-term catalysts. Should You Buy Costco Stock Before Sept. 24?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco nearly doubled the price of a 10-quart case of Kirkland Signature motor oil to $57.99 and limited purchases amid an oil-supply crunch. The move highlights inflationary pressure across consumer goods and could weigh on customer sentiment, even though higher prices may protect some revenue. Costco hikes motor oil prices and puts limits on how much members can buy
• Negative Sentiment: RBC expects higher fuel costs to pressure Costco’s core gross margin in the fourth quarter. Tariff refunds may offset much of the impact, but the mixed outlook reinforces concerns about near-term earnings quality. Costco Gross Margin Pressure From Higher Fuel Costs Likely to be Offset by Tariff Refunds, RBC Says

About Costco Wholesale

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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