<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Stephens Inc. AR boosted its holdings in shares of  Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 6.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,933 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,911,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Costco Wholesale</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><ul><li>MarketBeat Week in Review – 05/04 - 05/08</li></ul><p>Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in  Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the period.  Amundi boosted its stake in  Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during 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.  Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in  Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,911,331,000 after purchasing an additional 34,826 shares during the period.  American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in  Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,499,246,000 after purchasing an additional 127,495 shares during the period.  Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in  Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,120,787,000 after purchasing an additional 8,259 shares during the period. Institutional investors own  68.48% of the company's stock. </p><h2>More Costco Wholesale News</h2><p>Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:</p><ul>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Costco opened a long-awaited warehouse in New Braunfels, Texas, adding to its store base and reinforcing investor confidence in continued unit growth and market expansion. <i></i><span>Long-awaited Costco Wholesale now open in New Braunfels</span></li>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Another report confirmed the New Braunfels store is now open for business, underscoring Costco’s ongoing rollout of new locations that can support membership and revenue growth. <i></i><span>Costco Wholesale now open for business in New Braunfels</span></li>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Analysts and market commentary continue to favor Costco’s membership-driven model, saying it benefits from resilient grocery demand and supports steady growth even in a volatile retail backdrop. <i></i><span>WMT or COST: Which Retail Giant Looks More Attractive Now?</span></li>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Costco’s purchase of a 55-acre property in Florida suggests the company is still investing in significant long-term store growth, which investors typically view as a sign of confidence in future demand. <i></i><span>Costco Just Signed Off on a Massive Retail Real Estate Deal in Florida. Here's What Investors Need to Know About Costco's Store Growth Goals.</span></li>   <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>Articles debating whether Costco is still a good buy after its multi-year rally mostly reinforce that the stock remains a quality business but is expensive, making the reaction more about valuation than any new fundamental change. <i></i><span>Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Multi Year Rally</span></li>   <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>Coverage on Costco’s food court chicken tender launch is generating consumer buzz, but the main takeaway is mixed, with some concerns about whether it replaces a favorite item rather than clearly boosting the investment outlook. <i></i><span>Costco food court chicken tender launch sparks concerns over item replacement</span></li>   <li><span>Negative Sentiment: </span>Some recent commentary flags Costco’s premium valuation and argues the stock may be difficult to justify at current levels, which can temper enthusiasm despite strong fundamentals. <i></i><span>Costco: Strong Fundamentals Meet Growth Premium - A Hold Entering FQ3'26</span></li>   <li><span>Negative Sentiment: </span>Another Seeking Alpha piece argues there is a reason to sell Costco beyond valuation, adding to the cautious tone around the stock’s elevated price level. <i></i><span>Costco: Another Reason To Sell (Besides The Valuation)</span></li> </ul><h2>Insider Activity</h2><ul><li>Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?</li></ul><p>In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the 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 value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own  0.10% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth</h2><p>Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. BTIG Research  restated a &#34;buy&#34; rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued  a Hold rating and one  has assigned  a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock  has a consensus rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and an average price target of $1,047.27.</p><ul><li>Giants Costco, Sanofi, and SAP Raise Dividends by Over 10%</li></ul><p><b>Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Costco Wholesale</b></p><h2>Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%</h2><p>Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,048.95 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $1,000.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $955.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $465.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. </p><p>Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS.  As a group, equities analysts forecast that  Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend</h2><p>The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued 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 was Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 30.58%. </p><h2>Costco Wholesale Company Profile</h2> (Free Report)<p>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.  </p><p>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.</p><h2>Read More</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale</li><li>3 Stocks to Own If Gas Prices Keep Rising</li><li>3 Crucial Aerospace Component Makers That Analysts Love</li><li>Alphabet's Googlebook Brings Gemini AI to PC Hardware</li><li>Peloton Stock Gives Back Gains After Upbeat Earnings Report</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q09TVA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9Q09TVA"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Costco Wholesale Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Costco Wholesale, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Costco Wholesale wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Costco Wholesale currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

COST

IBUY

ONLN

COTG

EBIZ

<p>Stephens Inc. AR increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.8% in Q4, acquiring an additional 1,012 shares, bringing its total to 15,933 shares valued at $13.9 million. Other institutional investors, including Vanguard and Amundi, also raised their stakes. Costco's recent opening of a new warehouse in Texas and ongoing expansion efforts have bolstered investor confidence, despite concerns over its premium valuation and mixed market sentiment.</p>

Market Beat

Costco Wholesale

VanEck Retail ETF

Amplify Online Retail ETF

SPDR S&P Retail ETF

ProShares Online Retail

Leverage Shares 2X Long Cost Daily ETF

Global X E-commerce ETF

Principal Financial

Walmart

Stephens Inc. AR Buys 1,012 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST