Aberdeen Group plc Has $324.43 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Aberdeen Group plc decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 346,814 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 7,653 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.08% of Costco Wholesale worth $324,434,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Palisade Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer's stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: New Medicare Advantage offering could expand Costco’s membership value proposition. Costco is partnering with nonprofit SCAN Health Plan to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans, initially in two states pending regulatory approval. The broader rollout could include pharmacy, vision, hearing and over-the-counter benefits, potentially strengthening member retention and creating an additional revenue stream. Costco’s Next Big Bulk Item: Medicare Advantage
• Positive Sentiment: Growing cash reserves may support another special dividend. Commentary suggests Costco’s accumulating cash could lead to a substantial shareholder payout this fall. While no dividend has been announced, the possibility may provide support for the stock and reinforce Costco’s shareholder-return appeal. Costco's Cash Pile Keeps Building
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s merchandising strategy continues to drive member engagement. The company’s practice of rotating or discontinuing popular products can frustrate shoppers, but limited availability and surprise product returns may encourage more frequent warehouse visits and support the treasure-hunt shopping experience. Costco keeps discontinuing popular products
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for execution missteps. COST trades at roughly 48 times earnings, with a PEG ratio above 4, and analysts have questioned whether its strong multiyear performance is already reflected in the share price. The company’s latest quarterly EPS slightly missed consensus, although revenue exceeded expectations, adding to investor focus on earnings growth. Costco Stock Looks Fully Priced

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity

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 stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $956.99 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $948.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $981.23. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $424.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

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.

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