Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 103.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,934 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 10,622 shares during the quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,052,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $982.35 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $435.65 billion, a PE ratio of 49.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.73 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $1,005.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $966.74.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on COST. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Truist Financial raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,060.41.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lifted its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings forecasts for Costco, signaling expectations for stronger profitability ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary in 24/7 Wall St. emphasized Costco’s membership-fee model as a resilient source of recurring revenue that can support long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Barchart coverage noted Costco as one of the retail names rewarding shareholders with a higher dividend, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage that Costco offers shopping without a membership in limited cases is mainly informational and not likely to materially affect the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: The Iowa court decision involving a former Costco manager appears to be a legal headline with limited direct impact on the company’s overall financial outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Bloomberg reported rising plastic input costs may lead to higher prices for consumer goods later this year, which could add inflation pressure to Costco’s retail environment and potentially squeeze margins or demand.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.