Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS Has $88.90 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS trimmed its Costco stake by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, but still held 103,086 shares valued at about $88.9 million.
• Costco reported strong third-quarter results with revenue of $70.53 billion and same-store sales up 9.8%, though EPS of $4.93 missed estimates by $0.02 and margins remain under pressure.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with multiple firms raising price targets and Costco receiving a Moderate Buy consensus rating and a target price of $1,056.32.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 103,086 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,409 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $88,895,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Patrick Mauro Investment Advisor INC. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mauro Investment Advisor INC. now owns 2,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,500,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Soundwatch Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 342 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Madison Wealth Partners Inc raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 69.4% in the fourth quarter. Madison Wealth Partners Inc now owns 2,109 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,819,000 after purchasing an additional 864 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 41.6% in the fourth quarter. Hilltop Partners LLC now owns 2,819 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,431,000 after purchasing an additional 828 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted strong third-quarter results, with revenue of $70.53 billion topping estimates and same-store sales rising 9.8%, showing that members are still spending on essentials and value-focused purchases.
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline sales were a standout, with Costco’s gas stations setting all-time or record volume levels as drivers sought lower-priced fuel amid elevated energy costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth and membership strength continued to support results, helping offset margin pressure and reinforcing Costco’s value-driven model.
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets or reiterated bullish ratings, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Bernstein, BTIG, and Morgan Stanley, signaling confidence in Costco’s long-term fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a neutral rating with a $1,000 target, suggesting modest upside but not a strong catalyst for a re-rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco said it will return U.S. tariff refunds to members “in some form,” which may help customer loyalty but does not yet provide a clear financial boost.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 missed consensus by a small margin, and investors appear focused on the earnings shortfall more than the sales beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher costs and a premium valuation have prompted some traders to sell after the report, limiting enthusiasm despite the strong top-line performance.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on COST. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted 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 report on Friday. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,056.32.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 3.9%

Shares of COST stock opened at $956.32 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $1,007.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $962.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $424.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.95 by ($0.02). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

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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