Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Increases Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,684,707 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,551 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.3% of Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.38% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,678,692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $940.87 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $417.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.33, a PEG ratio of 4.56 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $975.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $978.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.39 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

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.