Swedbank AB Acquires 9,200 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Swedbank AB increased its Costco stake by 1.5% in Q4, buying 9,200 shares to hold 642,041 shares worth $553,658,000 (about 0.14% of the company).
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 from $1.30 (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and a yield around 0.6%.
• Operationally, Costco is expanding (roughly 28 new warehouses planned, new gas stations) and showing stronger traffic and membership growth, while analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a ~$1,045.97 target amid valuation concerns (P/E near 53).

Swedbank AB grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 642,041 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 9,200 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned 0.14% of Costco Wholesale worth $553,658,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Construction is set to begin on Costco’s first Milwaukee County warehouse after a land deal closed, signaling incremental store growth and membership reach in a new local market. Construction starts soon on Costco's first Milwaukee County store after land deal
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened a Camarillo gas station ahead of a planned warehouse, accelerating fuel sales and customer acquisition in that trade area. Fuel operations typically boost basket size and traffic. Costco opens Camarillo gas station ahead of warehouse construction
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Costco’s strong balance sheet (large liquid assets, low debt) and plans for roughly 28 new warehouses, while membership fees rose ~13.6%—a direct revenue lever and evidence of pricing/power. Why Costco's Financial Strength Could Outpace Retail Challenges
• Positive Sentiment: Foot-traffic data show Costco stores are materially busier over several years (visits +18% vs. 2019), supporting same-store sales resilience versus flatter traffic at Walmart/Target. It's not in your head: Costco has gotten more crowded
• Positive Sentiment: New brand additions—Korea’s Medicube skincare entering US retail via Costco (and Walmart)—expand product mix and could attract higher-margin beauty/skincare sales. Korea’s Medicube skincare to hit Walmart, Costco in US expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Roundups of new groceries hitting shelves highlight ongoing product refreshes that support traffic but are routine for Costco’s model. The Best New Costco Groceries Hitting Shelves This Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco tweaked its long-running $1.50 hot dog combo; a small operational/PR note that could affect customer sentiment but has limited financial impact. Costco just changed its famous $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what’s new
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry pieces comparing big-box performance (Walmart, Target, Costco) provide context that Target has led YTD gains—useful for relative-valuation and allocation decisions but not company-specific news. Which Big-Box Store Chain Has Dominated 2026: Walmart, Target, or Costco?
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyst pieces (Costco vs. Walmart) reassess trade-offs—useful for long-term positioning but not catalytic near-term. Costco vs. Walmart: What's the Better Consumer Staples Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation cautions: some analysts say COST’s strong fundamentals are already priced in (high P/E), making it harder to justify new purchases at current levels—this can limit near-term upside. Costco (COST) Is Hard Not to Love. Buying It Right Now Is Harder

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.4%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,016.42 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $997.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $950.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $450.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.86, a P/E/G ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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