Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Capital World Investors

Capital World Investors increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,937,286 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 77,650 shares during the period. Capital World Investors owned 0.89% of Costco Wholesale worth $3,395,301,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday's Market Sell-Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco's Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $971.87 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,006.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $963.99. The company has a market cap of $431.00 billion, a PE ratio of 48.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

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.