Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE Increases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 426.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 3,293 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,667 shares during the period. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,281,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. BetterWealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.0% in the first quarter. BetterWealth LLC now owns 295 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.8% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,380 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,371,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares during the period. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 50,471 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $50,291,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the period. Jacobsen Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.7% during the first quarter. Jacobsen Capital Management now owns 778 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $775,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Midwest Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.2% during the first quarter. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC now owns 258 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is still expanding its warehouse footprint, with new store plans reported in Florida, South Carolina and Southern California, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. Costco plans to build new warehouse in southern Hillsborough County
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat on Costco’s earnings power, with Erste Group raising FY2027 EPS estimates above consensus, signaling confidence in the retailer’s ability to keep growing profits.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Costco as a strong long-term compounder, supported by its membership model, cash generation, and resilient value proposition for consumers. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a possible 2026 stock split is generating attention, but it does not change Costco’s fundamentals and management has historically been cautious about splitting the stock. With Costco Trading Under $1,000, Is a Stock Split Still on the Table for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: One comparison piece versus Amazon and a holiday-closure story versus Sam’s Club are more about consumer habits and retail strategy than a direct change in Costco’s outlook. Growth Stock Showdown: Is Costco or Amazon the Better Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns Costco may be expensive on earnings and could face execution risks if fuel-related traffic tailwinds weaken, which could limit upside if growth slows. Costco’s Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $951.67 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $991.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $972.72. The company has a market capitalization of $422.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.87, a PEG ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for 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 company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial upped 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 report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,061.45.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.