Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Westerkirk Capital Inc.

Key Points

• Westerkirk Capital boosted its Costco stake by 21.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 1,080 more shares and bringing its total holding to 6,058 shares valued at about $5.22 million.
• Institutional interest in Costco remains strong, with hedge funds and other investors owning 68.48% of the company’s shares. Several firms also recently increased their positions.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Costco, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,060.41, while the company continues to post solid sales growth and recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share.

Westerkirk Capital Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 21.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,058 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,080 shares during the quarter. Westerkirk Capital Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,224,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Twenty-two investment 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported May net sales of $24.01 billion, up 14.5% year over year, reinforcing that demand remains strong and supporting the bull case for the stock. Is Costco (COST) One of Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Top 11 Dividend Stock Picks?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted a “blowout” earnings setup and said investors should expect a strong fourth quarter, which could lift sentiment around Costco’s near-term growth outlook. After Reporting Blowout Earnings, Costco Just Gave Investors Even Better News.
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital business is gaining traction, with digital comps up 21.5% and app traffic rising 37%, suggesting its e-commerce and personalization efforts are helping drive incremental sales. Is Costco's Digital Surge Making It a Bigger Retail Winner?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco has quietly cut prices on several Kirkland Signature items, including food, home goods, and sports equipment, which may strengthen its value proposition and drive more member traffic. Costco Quietly Slashed Prices on Chicken, Nuts and Other Kirkland Signature Items — What to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on Costco’s stock being below $1,000 and down from its highs, reflecting valuation concerns rather than a new operational issue. Should You Buy Costco Wholesale Stock While It's Below $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary noted Costco’s share price has been weak recently, with the stock down from its high, which may reflect investor concerns that the valuation is still rich despite strong fundamentals. Is Costco Stock Finally Cheap Enough to Buy?

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $974.75 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock's 50-day moving average is $1,006.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $964.91. The firm has a market cap of $432.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.03, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders 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 represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 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.

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