Old North State Trust LLC Purchases Shares of 4,176 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Old North State Trust LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 4,176 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,907,000. Costco Wholesale makes up about 2.0% of Old North State Trust LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price target for the company. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,056.90.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $915.74 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $406.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $943.58 and its 200-day moving average is $977.46. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week 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.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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 of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong August sales: Net sales increased 9.9% year over year, with comparable sales rising across regions and digitally enabled sales advancing 17.9%. The figures point to resilient member demand and continued e-commerce momentum. Costco’s August Sales Rise 9.9% as Digital Growth Stays Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains broad: BTIG reiterated a Buy rating with a $1,125 target, while Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and $1,200 target. Analysts cited resilient core performance, market-share gains, and higher earnings estimates. BTIG Reaffirms Buy on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlighted Costco’s consistent dividend growth since 2004, membership model, customer loyalty, and potential for continued earnings expansion.
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion: Costco is reportedly considering a new location in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, supporting its long-term warehouse growth strategy, although the potential site has no immediate earnings impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst valuation signals: DA Davidson reaffirmed a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target, while Bernstein retained a Buy rating but lowered its target to $1,144, indicating less room for upside despite confidence in the business.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: Jim Cramer and other commentators argued that COST trades at roughly 43–49 times earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Cramer Says Costco at 49 Times Earnings Is the Mistake Loyal Shoppers Keep Making
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: The Department of Justice expanded a beef-pricing antitrust inquiry to Costco, seeking information on prices, costs, margins, purchasing, and supply-chain practices. Potential compliance costs or scrutiny could pressure sentiment. US DOJ Widens Beef Price Inquiry
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next shutdown: The company’s online marketplace reportedly went offline without notice, raising questions about its digital strategy, although the platform is not viewed as central to Costco’s core business. Costco Next Online Marketplace Shut Down

Costco Wholesale 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.