Czech National Bank Increases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Czech National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 116,860 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,226 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.7% of Czech National Bank’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $100,773,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC boosted its position 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 acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank raised 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 acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s new Kirkland energy drink is being positioned as a value private‑label offering that should drive incremental sales and hurt branded competitors — this is seen by markets as a low‑cost growth lever for Costco. Why Costco’s cheap new Kirkland energy drink won’t crush Celsius
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights strong member response to the Kirkland energy drink and frames the launch as another example of Costco using its private label to expand assortments and margins — a near‑term positive for top‑line and gross‑margin outlooks. Costco’s new energy drink delights fans, rattles competition
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note that Costco’s product expansion is putting pressure on smaller branded peers (e.g., Celsius), which markets interpreted as confirmation that Costco can capture share in higher‑growth categories. Celsius Stock Jolted After Costco Offers Energy-Drink Brand for Less
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly positive: consensus price target implies material upside, but reports flag rising concerns about membership growth and valuation — a mixed signal for future returns. Analysts Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Despite Increasing Concerns Regarding Membership Growth Trends and Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses on Costco’s gas‑pricing strategy emphasize it as a membership retention/acquisition tool that stabilizes traffic and revenue — supportive for recurring revenue and same‑store trends. Here’s Why Costco’s Gas Pricing Strategy Is Good News for Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Separate pieces call out valuation worries and include Costco on lists of overvalued names — a reminder that the stock’s premium multiple leaves it vulnerable to sentiment shifts if membership or comp trends slow. 5 Most Overvalued Companies According to the Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory/legal flow: Bloomberg Law flags Costco as a target in consumer tariff‑refund actions — keep an eye on potential filings, though no immediate financial impact has been reported. FedEx, Costco, UPS Are Main Targets for Consumer Tariff Refunds

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Mizuho raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $974.86 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $985.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $938.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $432.50 billion, a PE ratio of 50.69, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

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.