New York State Teachers Retirement System Has $302.01 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its Costco stake by 3.4% to 350,222 shares, a position valued at $302.01 million that represents about 0.6% of the pension fund’s portfolio and roughly 0.08% ownership of Costco.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend date of May 1, implying a yield of about 0.6% and a dividend payout ratio of 27.04%.
• The retailer beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.58 vs. $4.55) and reported revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year-over-year); shares trade near $1,011 with a market cap of about $448.8 billion and a trailing P/E around 52.7.

New York State Teachers Retirement System cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 350,222 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 12,165 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.6% of New York State Teachers Retirement System's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $302,010,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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: Analysts & research highlight Costco’s widening price advantage vs. traditional grocers, supporting share gains through stronger traffic and member retention. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Investor/critic pieces are bullish — e.g., a 247WallSt columnist outlines why they keep buying COST, reinforcing momentum-driven retail interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Broker/upside revisions and dividend moves add fundamental support: Erste raised FY2027 EPS assumptions slightly, and Costco was listed among firms increasing dividends. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Costco as the most price-competitive club retailer versus peers (Walmart, Amazon), which helps defend market share in a price-sensitive consumer environment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco adjusted its long-running $1.50 hot-dog combo (menu/composition changes were reported) but kept the price, a symbolic move with limited direct earnings impact—more PR than profit driver. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: New product introductions and merchandising wins (e.g., Häagen‑Dazs flavor rollouts at Costco) support foot traffic but are incremental to core membership economics. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators note Costco’s premium valuation (Cramer: “never ever cheap”), a reminder that near-term upside could be capped absent accelerating comps or margin beats. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive divergence: some analysts argue Walmart’s evolving high‑margin ad/data business gives it more near-term upside than Costco, highlighting relative growth and multiple expansion risks for COST. That view may temper upside for investors looking for multi-bagger returns. Read More.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST traded up $12.95 on Thursday, hitting $1,011.62. 370,859 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,097,931. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The business's fifty day moving average is $996.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $949.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $448.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.69, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on COST shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

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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