Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Jag Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Jag Capital Management cut its Costco stake by 25.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,504 shares and leaving it with 16,411 shares valued at about $14.2 million.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Costco, with several recent buy ratings and an average consensus target of $1,049.27, while the stock has been trading near all-time highs above $1,090.
• Costco recently raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, extending its dividend-growth streak to 22 years and reinforcing confidence in cash generation.

Jag Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 25.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,411 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 5,504 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.5% of Jag Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. Jag Capital Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,152,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,049.27.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, marking 22 straight years of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash generation. This helped push shares to new highs. Where Will Costco Stock Be In 2028?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive ahead of the company’s May 28 earnings report, with Oppenheimer lifting its price target to $1,160 after strong April sales and the dividend hike. Costco (COST) Stock Gains as Analysts Raise Price Targets Before Quarterly Report
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales reinforced its defensive appeal, with 11.6% comparable sales growth and 18.8% digital sales growth as value-focused shoppers kept buying in bulk. Costco's April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
• Positive Sentiment: New food-court items, including chicken strips, are generating customer buzz and social media attention that may support traffic and membership loyalty. Forget chicken fingers, Costco quietly adds new food court item
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss whether Costco should split its stock now that shares are above $1,000, but management has not announced any split. Costco's Stock Keeps Breaking the $1,000 Threshold -- Don't Expect a Stock Split

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.7%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1,004.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $957.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. 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. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

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.

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.