BLB&B Advisors LLC Has $23.49 Million Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

BLB&B Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 25,106 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 530 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.9% of BLB&B Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. BLB&B Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,486,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after acquiring an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,300,000. Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $5,813,000. Finally, Hyperion Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research reports. Roth Capital upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $960.01 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $425.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $946.44 and its 200-day moving average is $980.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 posted $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven digital opportunity: Costco’s rising AI-generated search traffic reportedly has its highest conversion rate, suggesting AI visibility could become a meaningful catalyst for online sales growth. Will Costco’s AI Search Growth Become a Meaningful Sales Catalyst?
• Positive Sentiment: Continued consumer value appeal: Articles highlighting Costco’s money-saving grocery products, bulk-buying strategies and popular school snacks reinforce the retailer’s value proposition and could support membership loyalty and sales. 7 Costco Grocery Items That Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars Annually
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional buying: Golden Reserve Retirement LLC increased its COST position by 133.9%, purchasing 592 additional shares. However, the resulting holding of only 1,034 shares is too small to represent a significant market signal. Golden Reserve Retirement LLC Increases Position in Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data provides no clear signal: Reported short interest was zero, with an unusable percentage-change figure and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio, indicating the data does not meaningfully explain trading activity.
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff-refund litigation remains an overhang: Costco is contesting a customer lawsuit over refunds of certain IEEPA duties, while attorneys argue that Costco’s recovery of some duties weakens its case against issuing member refunds. Potential refunds and legal costs could pressure margins. Costco Fights Customer’s Tariff Suit as Refunds Flow In
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation sensitivity: Investor Michael Burry reportedly characterized Costco as “permacostly,” highlighting concern that COST’s elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment. The latest quarterly EPS also narrowly missed consensus, despite revenue exceeding expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s planned 24-hour closure on September 7 is a routine holiday-related event and is unlikely to materially affect the investment outlook. Costco Will Shut Down for 24 Hours on September 7

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.