Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Has $97.45 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 97,796 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,718 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 3.3% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $97,446,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. World Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,072,000 after purchasing an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Costco to $20.52 from $20.49, slightly above the Street consensus of $20.38, suggesting analysts still see modest earnings upside. Earnings forecast boost article
• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a favorite dividend name, with its next ex-dividend date set for July 24, which may attract income-focused investors ahead of the payout. Dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: A profile of a longtime Costco cashier who became a millionaire highlights the company’s employee retention and compensation culture, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term fundamentals. Employee profile article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several local news items about new warehouses, gas stations, and remodels point to ongoing store expansion and reinvestment, but they are not major stock-moving catalysts by themselves.
• Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat said Costco’s June sales showed cooling comparable sales and weak international results, keeping the stock in “neutral” territory despite its premium valuation. Cooling comp sales article
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from Zacks and Yahoo Finance argued Costco shares still look expensive after a strong multi-year run, reinforcing valuation concerns that can weigh on the stock. Valuation debate article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Capital boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $940.87 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $975.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $977.54. 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 capitalization of $417.26 billion, a PE ratio of 47.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.88. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors 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 payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale 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.