Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Raised by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Fisher Asset Management increased its Costco stake by 1.2% in the third quarter, adding 38,629 shares and bringing its holdings to about 3.29 million shares, valued at roughly $3.0 billion.
• Costco beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates: EPS was $6.75 versus $6.54 expected, while revenue reached $95.72 billion, up 11.1% year over year. The company also announced a $30-per-share special dividend.
• Analysts have a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,092.23; shares opened at $1,092.21 in the latest session described.

Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 1.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,291,669 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 38,629 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned about 0.74% of Costco Wholesale worth $2,996,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,092.21 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $963.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $974.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,102.84. The firm has a market cap of $483.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.61, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on COST. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,143.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total value of $975,555.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,698 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,176,347.10. This trade represents a 13.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,200 shares of company stock valued at $4,044,632. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

Here are a few of the latest stories about COST:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to expand its Hyderabad technology center after reporting a 60% productivity gain from AI, potentially supporting efficiency as the company grows. Article: Costco reveals 60% AI productivity gain in major expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target to $1,155 and maintained an Outperform rating, but noted that expectations ahead of earnings remain demanding. Article: Bernstein Makes Surprising Costco Call Before Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: A federal lawsuit alleging misleading discounts presents a potential legal and reputational overhang; the provided report does not detail the allegations or potential exposure. Article: Costco faces federal suit over misleading discounts

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

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