Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Constitution Capital LLC

Key Points

• Constitution Capital LLC reduced its Costco position by 74.9% in the second quarter, selling 7,325 shares and retaining 2,452 shares valued at approximately $2.3 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s stock.
• Costco reported strong July sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year, while comparable sales rose 8.9%. Analysts cite the company’s value-focused offering, membership model and expansion opportunities as key strengths.
• Despite a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $1,059.53 price target, Costco trades at a premium valuation near 48 times earnings. Its latest quarterly EPS slightly missed estimates, increasing investor focus on whether strong sales momentum can continue.

Constitution Capital LLC cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 74.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,452 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 7,325 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.2% of Constitution Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Constitution Capital LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,294,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised 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 buying an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year. Comparable sales increased 8.9% overall and 10.3% in the United States, indicating resilient consumer demand and continued traffic strength. Costco Delivered Another Strong Sales Print in July
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s value-focused pricing, quality merchandise, broad warehouse footprint and strong digitally enabled sales as advantages in a cautious consumer environment. The results suggest momentum could continue into the second half of the year. Can Costco Keep Its Sales Momentum Going After a Solid July?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco may add another warehouse in North Texas, signaling continued investment in store expansion. More locations could increase membership growth, sales and operating scale, although the potential site is not yet confirmed. Costco May Add Another Store in North Texas
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Costco’s rapid store construction points to an efficient expansion process, potentially helping the company open warehouses faster and capture demand, though it does not represent a new financial result. The Secret Behind Why Costco Stores Get Built So Fast
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage continues to emphasize Costco’s membership strength and growth opportunities, but the shares remain valued at a premium. Costco’s roughly 48 price-to-earnings ratio leaves less room for disappointment if sales growth slows or margins weaken. Top Analyst Reports for Costco, Chevron and Home Depot
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still watching whether Costco can sustain its rapid sales pace after July. Its recent quarterly EPS slightly missed estimates, adding sensitivity to the upcoming earnings report despite a revenue beat. Can Costco Keep Its Sales Momentum Going After a Solid July?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on COST. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a "sector perform" rating and a $1,000.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Roth Capital upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $952.75 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $950.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $982.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market cap of $422.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.93, a PEG ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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.

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