Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Has $16.91 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,604 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 655 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,905,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th 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 raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 638.7% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $225,023,000 after purchasing an additional 196,537 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $158,189,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Membership renewal rates remain near record highs, which supports recurring revenue, cash flow and the margin profile that underpins Costco’s rich valuation. Targeted outreach and auto‑renewal programs could further stabilize retention. Costco’s Renewal Rates Hold Strong: Can Digital Members Catch Up?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst previews expect Costco’s upcoming quarter to show low‑double‑digit EPS growth, reinforcing near‑term earnings momentum and supporting consensus estimates ahead of the print. Here’s What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Next Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail and investor attention: Zacks notes COST is a “trending” stock, which can boost volume and volatility but doesn’t change fundamentals. Expect bigger intraday swings while momentum is concentrated. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Some customer-service and product FAQs (e.g., tire returns) circulated broadly; these are largely operational/consumer‑facing stories with limited impact on corporate profitability. Does Costco accept returns on tires?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: BJ’s expanded aggressively into Texas and the warehouse‑club segment is getting more competitive. Increased competition could pressure membership growth, traffic or pricing in certain markets over time. BJ’s takes on Costco with major expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Digital-member renewal rates lag in some cohorts; if digital sign‑ups consistently underperform, membership revenue growth could slow unless outreach/auto‑renewal efforts fully close the gap. Costco’s Renewal Rates Hold Strong: Can Digital Members Catch Up?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $998.01 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $996.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $948.66. The company has a market cap of $442.77 billion, a PE ratio of 51.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm 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%.The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

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.