Truist Financial Corp Has $291.86 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Truist Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 315,311 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,483 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $291,861,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on COST. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Hovde Group began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. HSBC reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $970.28 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $430.68 billion, a PE ratio of 51.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $903.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $929.49.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared its first quarterly dividend of 2026, payable February 13 — a direct cash return that supports income-focused holders and underscores steady capital allocation. Costco to pay dividends on February 13; Here’s how much 100 COST shares will earn
• Positive Sentiment: Major shop-floor and sell-side attention: Morgan Stanley listed Costco among top picks into earnings, signaling institutional confidence ahead of results and likely supporting buying interest. Morgan Stanley’s top picks into earnings include AMD and Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators highlight durable growth drivers — new warehouse openings, rising same-store sales and a sticky, subscription-style membership model — supporting multi-year revenue growth and the possibility of much larger market cap over time. Can This Unstoppable Stock Join the $1 Trillion Club in 5 Years?
• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet strength: coverage notes Costco’s cash-rich position, low leverage and rising membership fees, which increase financial flexibility to weather retail headwinds and support store expansion. Can Costco Outgrow Retail Headwinds? The Balance Sheet Says Yes
• Neutral Sentiment: Momentum and trading ideas: several market pieces discuss a recent rebound and short-term price moves, with commentary on tactical plays and price targets — useful for traders but less material for long-term fundamentals. Costco Stock Has Moved Up Over the Last Month – What Are the Best Plays Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and investor guides (shopping tips, product highlights, retrospectives on multi-year returns) are increasing public interest and brand visibility but have limited direct impact on fundamentals. Costco Stock Has Moved Up Over the Last Month – What Are the Best Plays Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest report in the data feed shows anomalies (reported zeros and NaN); no actionable short pressure signal for investors from the published figures. (Source: market short-interest summary)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputational risk: Costco faces a class-action lawsuit alleging misleading claims about its Kirkland rotisserie chicken (no preservatives). While likely not material to fundamentals, the case creates headline risk and could modestly affect sentiment if it escalates. Costco’s popular bargain meal at center of new lawsuit

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.