North Star Asset Management Inc. Purchases New Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

North Star Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 17,710 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $16,568,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on COST. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $1,144.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. UBS Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,056.90.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $915.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $942.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $976.78. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $406.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors 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 yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco’s fourth-quarter net sales increased 11.3% year over year to $93.9 billion. Digitally enabled comparable sales rose 19.5%, substantially outpacing overall growth and highlighting continued momentum in e-commerce and omnichannel shopping. Costco's Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: August sales remained robust: Costco reported a 9.9% year-over-year increase in August sales, driven by strong U.S. comparable-store performance and record digital growth. The update gives investors further evidence that membership and customer traffic remain resilient. Costco Reports Double-Digit Growth in August 2026 Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday closures are routine: Costco closed its U.S. warehouses for Labor Day, consistent with its long-standing policy of shutting stores on seven holidays annually. The practice may reinforce the company’s employee-focused culture but has no meaningful near-term earnings impact. Most national retailers close on 2 holidays. Costco shuts down for 7.
• Neutral Sentiment: Membership loyalty remains a theme: Coverage of members with decades-long Costco relationships underscores the strength of the retailer’s recurring membership model, though it provides limited new financial information. What Happens If You Are A Costco Member For Over 40 Years?
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier relationship risk: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a functional-beverage company’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights the importance—and potential volatility—of major retail partnerships. Loss of Costco deal helps push beverage brand into Chapter 11

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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