California Public Employees Retirement System Purchases 136,072 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,160,702 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 136,072 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.6% of California Public Employees Retirement System’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. California Public Employees Retirement System owned 0.26% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,074,381,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,104,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and membership strength: Costco reported stronger-than-expected FQ2 results (revenue and EPS beats) and management highlighted membership growth and traffic as key drivers, underpinning confidence in recurring fee income and sales momentum. Costco Reports $68.24B FQ2 Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Membership mix and premium sign‑ups: Executive membership growth (near 40M members, +~9%) supports higher-margin recurring fee income and may sustain revenue per member. This is a structural tailwind for margins and cash flow. Is a $130 Costco executive membership the new VIP status?
• Positive Sentiment: In‑warehouse innovation and product drops: Expanded in‑warehouse experiences, curated product drops (e.g., fashion/brand collaborations) and new assortments (including third‑party brands like Hiboy e‑bikes) are helping traffic and impulse sales. Costco Expands In‑Warehouse Experiences Hiboy C1 E‑Bike Lands at Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Digital growth and traffic resilience: Management says digital sales and e‑commerce expansion remain contributors to growth, but macro headwinds (e.g., energy-driven pressure on discretionary budgets) add uncertainty to near‑term sales cadence. Costco Says Shoppers Are Still Spending Rising gas prices could offset tax refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale: An EVP disclosed a sale of ~730 shares; the size is immaterial relative to Costco’s market cap and does not signal a clear change in insider confidence. Executive Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff‑refund lawsuits create legal overhang: Multiple proposed class‑action suits allege Costco must pass along refunds to customers after the Supreme Court struck down certain Trump‑era tariffs; plaintiffs seek substantial recoveries and class status, introducing potential liability, administrative burden and PR risk until resolved. Reuters: Costco customers sue
• Negative Sentiment: Complex legal landscape: Coverage notes the situation is “messy” — Costco has also pursued government action to recover tariff amounts, but parallel suits against the company could keep volatility and headline risk elevated until legal outcomes and any government refunds are clarified. Barron’s: Tariff refunds are getting messy

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,008.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $447.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50 day moving average of $975.52 and a 200-day moving average of $937.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. HSBC lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

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.