Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stake Reduced by Blair William & Co. IL

Key Points

• Blair William & Co. IL reduced its Costco stake by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 30,376 shares and leaving it with 521,182 shares valued at about $449.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 68.48% of Costco’s stock, and several firms slightly adding to their positions during the period.
• Analysts and recent news remain mostly constructive on Costco, citing strong traffic, comparable sales, earnings growth potential, and growth drivers like gasoline, e-commerce, wellness, and store expansion, though the stock still faces valuation concerns.

Blair William & Co. IL cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 521,182 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 30,376 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.2% of Blair William & Co. IL's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Blair William & Co. IL owned 0.12% of Costco Wholesale worth $449,436,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer's stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,760,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Somerset Group LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,906,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 11 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: Zacks highlighted Costco’s growing traffic, stronger comparable sales, and gas-driven member engagement, reinforcing that its value proposition is still attracting shoppers. Costco's Growing Traffic Shows the Power of Its Value Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said Costco screens well for earnings acceleration, pointing to rising EPS growth trends that can support further upside in the shares. Costco & 2 Earnings Acceleration Stocks to Watch for Solid Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance and other commentary emphasized Costco’s record gasoline sales, e-commerce growth, wellness offerings, and ongoing store expansion, all of which reinforce the company’s long-term growth story. Costco Leans On Gasoline, E Commerce And Wellness To Deepen Member Value
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a top long-term growth name and suggested the stock still has room to run if membership strength and comparable sales remain solid. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains a heavily watched stock, with investor attention amplified by bullish price-target speculation and debate over whether the company can break above $1,100 over time. Can Costco Stock Break $1,100 by 2027?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the constructive outlook, one market note said Costco was among retailers that fell even as lower oil prices could have helped consumers, showing the stock can still be pressured by broader rotation or lack of immediate catalyst. It Wasn’t a Strait of Hormuz Relief Rally, After All

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target 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. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $986.68 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $437.57 billion, a PE ratio of 49.63, a P/E/G ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.88. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $1,004.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $968.46. 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 (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

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.

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