First Nebraska Trust Co Buys New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,022 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,015,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Wealth Effects LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial publications continue to highlight Costco’s strong momentum, durable membership model, consistent profit growth and long-term shareholder returns. One analysis suggests the retailer could eventually pursue trillion-dollar-company status if it sustains warehouse expansion, membership growth and operating execution. Why Costco Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s reported experiment with expanding or changing gasoline sales could create another source of traffic, member engagement and revenue over time, although the financial impact remains uncertain. Costco Gasoline Sales Experiment
• Positive Sentiment: New product partnerships and continued customer interest—including expanded beverage distribution and popular food offerings—reinforce Costco’s ability to attract shoppers and support sales, though these developments are not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Coco5 Costco Partnership

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale 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 $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. Roth Capital boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $951.89 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $422.14 billion, a PE ratio of 47.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $955.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $982.10. 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 quarterly 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 company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 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.