3,104 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Bought by DB&C Advisors LLC

DB&C Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 3,104 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,677,000. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 3.4% of DB&C Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third 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 last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 182.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $462,265,000 after purchasing an additional 346,208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the third 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 last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $971.87 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,006.71 and a 200-day moving average of $963.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $431.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released 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). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for 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 prior year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday's Market Sell-Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco's Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Mkm raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two research 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.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

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.

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