Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Fiera Capital Corp

Key Points

• Fiera Capital Corp cut its Costco position by 13.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 11,852 shares and ending with 75,571 shares valued at about $65.2 million.
• Costco continues to post strong sales momentum, with May net sales rising 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion, reinforcing optimism about traffic and spending trends.
• Despite solid operating performance, valuation remains a major debate on Wall Street, with analysts split between upbeat ratings and concerns that the stock already reflects much of the good news.

Fiera Capital Corp lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 13.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 75,571 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 11,852 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $65,168,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Tichoniim Havera Menahelet LTD increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 23.6% during the fourth quarter. Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Tichoniim Havera Menahelet LTD now owns 8,934 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,704,000 after purchasing an additional 1,708 shares in the last quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc. now owns 280 shares of the retailer's stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. CNB Bank grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. CNB Bank now owns 3,062 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,640,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $192,000. Finally, Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.5% during the fourth quarter. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna now owns 1,740 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,500,000 after buying an additional 576 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America raised 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. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $971.87 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,006.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $964.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $431.00 billion, a PE ratio of 48.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. 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.

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