William Blair Investment Management LLC Raises Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 328,468 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,728 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.8% of William Blair Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. William Blair Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $283,251,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $401,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 26,823 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $23,149,000 after purchasing an additional 1,373 shares in the last quarter. Allium Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 42.6% in the fourth quarter. Allium Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,278 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,276,000 after buying an additional 2,176 shares in the last quarter. Beck Bode LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Beck Bode LLC now owns 18,171 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,670,000 after buying an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 19.8% in the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 26,963 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $23,251,000 after buying an additional 4,452 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 2.1%

COST stock opened at $1,028.24 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $456.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,007.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $960.13.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,052.60.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a top momentum and growth name, with multiple recent pieces highlighting strong long-term performance and continued investor interest as the shares trade near record levels. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation about a possible stock split has intensified after Costco broke back above the $1,000 share-price milestone, which can boost sentiment by making the stock seem more accessible to retail investors. Costco Stock Split Rumors Explode as COST Smashes $1,000 Milestone Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market coverage continue to point to Costco’s solid operating momentum and long-term return profile, reinforcing the view that the business is executing well even after a big run-up. A Look At Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation As Shares Trade Near Recent Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint, including rezoning and land purchase activity for new locations, which supports long-term growth but is not likely to move the stock much on its own. New details emerge in proposed north Macon Costco project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also seeing incremental membership-related promotion and seasonal deal coverage, which may help traffic but appears too small to materially affect the share price near term. This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 – here’s how to get it
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure is coming from valuation concerns: several articles note that Costco’s stock is already priced for strong execution, leaving little room for disappointment after the recent rally. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco also traded lower in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, sparking broader concern about the consumer-retail backdrop. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart’s Q1 Report: What’s Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing headlines around tariff refunds and a tax dispute in Japan, adding some legal and regulatory noise, though these issues do not appear to be the main driver of today’s move. Costco suit highlights gaps in $166B tariff refund process

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.