Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Evolve Private Wealth LLC

Key Points

• Evolve Private Wealth LLC reduced its Costco stake by 21.4% in the first quarter, selling 1,977 shares and leaving it with 7,263 shares worth about $7.24 million.
• Despite that sale, Costco continues to see broad institutional interest, with several hedge funds and investment firms adding to positions and 68.48% of the stock owned by institutions and hedge funds.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish: multiple firms raised price targets, and Wall Street consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $1,061.45, even as Costco’s latest earnings narrowly missed EPS expectations.

Evolve Private Wealth LLC trimmed its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 21.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,263 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,977 shares during the period. Evolve Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,237,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. FORA Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer's stock worth $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $121,098,000 after acquiring an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,911,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $370,140,000 after acquiring an additional 5,937 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary said Costco’s membership model looks even stronger, citing higher renewal rates, executive upgrades, and solid fee income growth that point to durable customer loyalty and steady recurring revenue. Is Costco Wholesale's Membership Model Getting Even Stronger?
• Positive Sentiment: Higher fuel prices may be sending more shoppers to Costco gas stations, which can increase in-store traffic and support a spillover lift in merchandise sales. 1 Big Catalyst for Costco Stock Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: One article argued that Costco’s low-price model can remain resilient even if the Fed keeps rates elevated, because value-oriented shopping tends to hold up well in inflationary periods. 1 Reason Why the Fed's Decision to Keep Interest Rates Steady Is No Match for Costco Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also getting attention as a potential beneficiary of heavy summer spending and online competition, but the articles focus more on Amazon’s Prime Day and broader retail activity than on a direct new catalyst for Costco. Amazon’s Prime Day sale could spur $26.3B in US e-commerce
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also chatter about Costco’s CFO and the timing of a possible special dividend, but the discussion did not confirm any new payout decision, so it is more of a speculation-driven headline than a clear catalyst. Costco's CFO just answered the special-dividend question
• Negative Sentiment: One report noted that some Costco members are raising inventory complaints, which could hint at occasional merchandising or availability issues that may frustrate shoppers. Costco members voice surprising inventory complaint
• Negative Sentiment: A Fortune report said quartz countertop fabrication has caused serious lung disease among workers, including in jobs tied to Costco kitchens, which could add reputational or legal pressure. Your quartz countertop is the new asbestos — for the workers who cut it

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on COST. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 price target for the company. Bank of America increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted 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 report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $951.35 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $998.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $969.62. The company has a market capitalization of $421.90 billion, a PE ratio of 47.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

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