Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Takes $48.69 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 56,438 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $48,687,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 182.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $462,265,000 after acquiring an additional 346,208 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after acquiring an additional 252,453 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $213,362,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted strong third-quarter results, with revenue of $70.53 billion topping estimates and same-store sales rising 9.8%, showing that members are still spending on essentials and value-focused purchases.
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline sales were a standout, with Costco’s gas stations setting all-time or record volume levels as drivers sought lower-priced fuel amid elevated energy costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth and membership strength continued to support results, helping offset margin pressure and reinforcing Costco’s value-driven model.
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets or reiterated bullish ratings, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Bernstein, BTIG, and Morgan Stanley, signaling confidence in Costco’s long-term fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a neutral rating with a $1,000 target, suggesting modest upside but not a strong catalyst for a re-rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco said it will return U.S. tariff refunds to members “in some form,” which may help customer loyalty but does not yet provide a clear financial boost.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 missed consensus by a small margin, and investors appear focused on the earnings shortfall more than the sales beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher costs and a premium valuation have prompted some traders to sell after the report, limiting enthusiasm despite the strong top-line performance.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,056.32.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $956.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,007.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $962.48. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $424.27 billion, a PE ratio of 49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.95 by ($0.02). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.