Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Trimmed by Meitav Investment House Ltd.

Key Points

• Meitav Investment House Ltd. cut its Costco stake by 46.9% in the first quarter, selling 21,533 shares and leaving it with 24,413 shares worth about $24.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains upbeat, with several analysts raising price targets and the stock holding a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,061.45.
• Costco reported mixed quarterly results, missing EPS by a penny but beating revenue expectations, while also boosting its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30.

Meitav Investment House Ltd. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 46.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,413 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 21,533 shares during the quarter. Meitav Investment House Ltd.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $24,326,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts are described as increasingly optimistic on Costco, which can support the stock by reinforcing the market’s view that the company still deserves a premium valuation. Is Costco (COST) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlight Costco as a durable long-term compounder and a resilient business, suggesting investors continue to favor its defensive model and steady membership-driven cash flow. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Benefits from Investors’ Focus on Resilient Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s move to build a retail media business with Google Commerce Media and YouTube could open a new high-margin revenue stream, which investors may view as a meaningful growth lever. Can Costco Stock Build a Meaningful Retail Media Business?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Costco is benefiting from investor preference for resilient consumer businesses may help the stock if the market remains focused on defensive retail names amid economic uncertainty. Is Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) a Durable Long-Term Compounder?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple stories comparing Costco with Walmart and other retail peers keep the stock in focus, but these pieces are more discussion-oriented than company-specific catalysts. Costco vs Walmart: What's the Better Retail Stock to Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about Costco’s famous hot dog, food-court franks, and milk are largely consumer-interest pieces and are unlikely to materially affect the stock. Are Costco's famous food court franks available for bulk purchase?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary argues Costco’s valuation leaves limited upside versus cheaper alternatives, which could weigh on sentiment if investors become more valuation-sensitive. When I Try to Imagine the Best Investment Opportunity for the Next 10 Years, Costco Stock Just Doesn't Make the Cut. That's Why I Keep Coming Back to This Stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.3%

COST traded up $2.90 on Tuesday, reaching $953.15. 614,648 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,230,827. The company has a market cap of $422.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.84, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $990.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $973.36. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.