3,637 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Acquired by Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co

Key Points

• Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. acquired 3,637 Costco shares worth approximately $3.4 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s outstanding stock.
• Costco’s latest quarter delivered $70.53 billion in revenue, ahead of estimates, but earnings per share of $4.93 narrowly missed forecasts. The stock trades at a high P/E ratio of 47.56 and remains below its 200-day moving average.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,059.53; Costco also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47, or $5.88 annualized.

Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,637 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $3,402,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock worth $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $945.47 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $419.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company's fifty day moving average is $945.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $979.80.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced 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). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could boost engagement: Costco is now offering delivery for customizable sheet cakes and party platters, improving convenience and potentially encouraging larger, higher-margin event-related purchases. Costco delivery for cakes and party platters
• Positive Sentiment: Physical expansion continues: Costco opened its first warehouse in Celina, Texas, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. New locations can add membership revenue and sales over time, although the financial contribution will develop gradually. Costco opens Celina store
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term investor appeal remains intact: Commentary highlights Costco’s strong competitive moat, membership economics and potential for dividend growth. Its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans also provides a potential new customer-engagement channel. Costco Medicare partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy is both a strength and a challenge: Costco continues to hold its iconic rotisserie chicken at $4.99 by controlling production costs. The price reinforces customer loyalty, but inflation and supply costs could pressure margins if the company maintains the price indefinitely. Costco rotisserie chicken and inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and valuation concerns are weighing on sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while contesting a related class-action lawsuit, creating uncertainty over costs and potential liabilities. Separately, the stock’s high earnings multiple and position below its 200-day moving average leave it vulnerable to profit-taking; its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite a revenue beat. Costco tariff refunds and lawsuit

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Roth Capital upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

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.

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source