Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Sells 3,359 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA reduced its Costco stake by 8.5% in the first quarter, selling 3,359 shares and leaving it with 36,190 shares worth about $36.1 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly constructive on Costco, with 22 Buy ratings, 11 Hold ratings, and 1 Sell rating, giving the stock a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $1,061.45.
• Costco recently reported EPS of $4.93, just below estimates, while revenue of $70.53 billion topped expectations; the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30.

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA trimmed its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 8.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,190 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,359 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $36,061,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.6% in the first quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 23,151 shares of the retailer's stock worth $23,068,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. Welch Financial Planning LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.0% during the first quarter. Welch Financial Planning LLC now owns 373 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $372,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.3% during the first quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC now owns 7,099 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $7,074,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 723 shares of the retailer's stock worth $722,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Narus Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. Narus Financial Partners LLC now owns 548 shares of the retailer's stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

COST stock opened at $952.54 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The business's 50-day moving average is $996.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $970.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.