Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC increased its Costco stake by 83.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 2,101 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 4,615 shares valued at about $3.98 million.
• Institutional interest in Costco remains strong, with hedge funds and other institutional investors owning 68.48% of the stock. Several other firms also recently added to or initiated positions in the retailer.
• Analysts remain mostly positive on Costco, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41, even as the stock trades at a relatively rich valuation after its latest earnings report.

Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 83.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,615 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 2,101 shares during the quarter. Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,981,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its earnings forecasts for Costco Wholesale (COST), increasing FY2026 EPS to $20.49 from $20.44 and FY2027 EPS to $22.61 from $22.52, which can reinforce investor confidence in the company’s growth outlook. Costco analyst estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly said he thinks investors can “buy some here,” adding a supportive media/market sentiment tailwind for Costco Wholesale (COST). Jim Cramer Costco commentary
• Positive Sentiment: Another note highlighted Costco’s strong digital sales and record gas volumes, pointing to continued traffic and demand trends that could support revenue. Costco digital sales and gas volume article
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco also received attention for governance/ESG leadership after CEO Ron Vachris was set to be honored for board diversity leadership, which is positive for reputation but unlikely to move the stock on its own. Costco governance recognition
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is fighting a class-action lawsuit over whether its $5 rotisserie chicken was falsely advertised as having “no preservatives,” creating a legal overhang for the stock. Costco lawsuit article
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent coverage also focused on worries about consumer spending and why shares sold off despite strong operating data, suggesting investors are still weighing valuation and macro risk. Costco stock drop explanation

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $983.37 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $1,006.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $966.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $436.10 billion, a PE ratio of 49.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

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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