VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Invests $58.85 Million in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 62,907 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $58,848,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $200,372,000 after acquiring an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $9,300,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer's stock worth $148,193,000 after purchasing an additional 6,200 shares in the last quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer's stock worth $64,325,000 after purchasing an additional 5,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,813,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $904.77 on Monday. 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 one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $940.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $974.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $401.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued 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%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,056.03.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s recent August and fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 sales results supported an analyst upgrade from “hold” to “buy,” accompanied by a $1,030 price target. The data were viewed as evidence of resilient consumer demand and improving visibility into retail trends. Analyst upgrade following sales reports
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts maintain substantially higher targets, including targets of $1,100 to $1,200, arguing that Costco’s membership model, recurring sales, and execution could support further valuation upside. Costco price prediction
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Costco’s ability to compete with Walmart and Amazon, while planned warehouse openings—including a reported $42 million Texas development and additional U.S. and Canadian locations—could expand its membership and sales base. Costco competition and growth
• Positive Sentiment: An Accenture survey suggests consumers may begin holiday shopping unusually early and spend more than in 2025, a potentially favorable backdrop for Costco’s seasonal merchandise and grocery sales. Holiday shopping outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains favorable overall, with Costco carrying an average “Moderate Buy” rating, but the stock’s elevated valuation means continued earnings and sales growth may be required to justify further gains. Costco brokerage rating
• Neutral Sentiment: New warehouse projects and relocations should support long-term expansion, although local traffic concerns around one planned location could delay or complicate development. Lee’s Summit Costco development
• Negative Sentiment: Costco shares have closed lower for eight consecutive sessions, raising concerns about a technical or valuation-driven correction despite strong operating results.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity consisted of two sales and no purchases, while reports that Costco is rationing motor oil point to potential product-availability and supply-chain pressures.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.

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