RFG Advisory LLC Sells 2,074 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• RFG Advisory LLC reduced its Costco stake by 25.5% in the first quarter, selling 2,074 shares and leaving it with 6,055 shares valued at about $6.03 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly bullish on Costco, with 22 Buy ratings, 11 Hold ratings, and 1 Sell rating; the average analyst target price is $1,061.45, and several firms recently raised price targets.
• Costco posted mixed quarterly results, missing EPS expectations by a penny while slightly beating revenue estimates, and it recently increased its quarterly dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share.

RFG Advisory LLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 25.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,055 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,074 shares during the period. RFG Advisory LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COST. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,044 shares of the retailer's stock worth $12,001,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares in the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 3,378 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,366,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. OP Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 1st quarter worth approximately $94,726,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 30.8% during the first quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 5,811 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,367 shares during the period. Finally, Apella Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 39.0% during the first quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 4,472 shares of the retailer's stock worth $4,471,000 after purchasing an additional 1,254 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $942.24 on Friday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $996.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $970.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $417.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is an increase 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company's 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish articles highlighted Costco’s resilient membership model, strong sales growth, high renewal rates, and ongoing global expansion, reinforcing the view that the business remains fundamentally solid. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pieces suggested Costco may have further upside, with some citing a path back toward $1,000 per share and broader appeal as a defensive retailer in volatile markets. Costco Stock Price Prediction: A Path to $1,000 and Double-Digit Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Costco’s cash generation raised the possibility of another special dividend later in 2026, which could be an additional catalyst for income-focused investors. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco was also mentioned in store-opening and local expansion stories, which point to continued growth but do not appear to be major immediate stock catalysts. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where
• Neutral Sentiment: A director, Kenneth D. Denman, sold 885 shares in a disclosed SEC filing. The sale was relatively small versus his remaining stake, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful short position in the shares, so this report does not suggest a major bearish thesis.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary noted Costco’s stock has been under pressure recently despite solid fundamentals, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking may be limiting near-term upside. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?

Costco Wholesale 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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