Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings cut its Costco stake by 31% in the fourth quarter, selling 7,859 shares and leaving it with 17,524 shares valued at about $15.1 million.
• Costco continues to draw bullish analyst support, with multiple firms raising price targets or reaffirming Buy/Outperform ratings after the company reported strong April sales growth.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and its latest earnings beat expectations with revenue up 9.2% year over year.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 31.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 17,524 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 7,859 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $447.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.46, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day moving average of $998.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $951.50. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,046.03.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.

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