Alta Wealth Advisors LLC Sells 1,230 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Alta Wealth Advisors trimmed its stake in Costco by 28.1% in Q4, selling 1,230 shares and now holding 3,147 shares worth about $2.71 million (≈0.9% of the fund, its 22nd largest holding).
• EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares at an average price of $1,003.02 (a 10.66% reduction in her stake), while insiders collectively own just 0.10% of Costco stock.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88, ~0.6% yield) and reported Q earnings of $4.58 EPS topping estimates with revenue of $69.6B (+9.2% YoY); analysts generally remain positive with an average price target around $1,046 ("Moderate Buy").

Alta Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 28.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,147 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,230 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.9% of Alta Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Alta Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,713,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $2,781,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Mariner LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,106,319 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,024,042,000 after purchasing an additional 9,636 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,012.79 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The company has a market capitalization of $449.32 billion, a PE ratio of 52.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.92. The business's fifty day moving average is $996.93 and its 200 day moving average is $950.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

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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