Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab Takes $54.65 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 58,414 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $54,645,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.9% of Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab's holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth $5,499,000. Gables Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $396,000. Oxbow Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 2,164 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,024,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Investmark Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Investmark Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,092 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,022,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 459 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $429,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a "sector perform" rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two 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 data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could boost engagement: Costco is now offering delivery for customizable sheet cakes and party platters, improving convenience and potentially encouraging larger, higher-margin event-related purchases. Costco delivery for cakes and party platters
• Positive Sentiment: Physical expansion continues: Costco opened its first warehouse in Celina, Texas, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. New locations can add membership revenue and sales over time, although the financial contribution will develop gradually. Costco opens Celina store
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term investor appeal remains intact: Commentary highlights Costco’s strong competitive moat, membership economics and potential for dividend growth. Its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans also provides a potential new customer-engagement channel. Costco Medicare partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy is both a strength and a challenge: Costco continues to hold its iconic rotisserie chicken at $4.99 by controlling production costs. The price reinforces customer loyalty, but inflation and supply costs could pressure margins if the company maintains the price indefinitely. Costco rotisserie chicken and inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and valuation concerns are weighing on sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while contesting a related class-action lawsuit, creating uncertainty over costs and potential liabilities. Separately, the stock’s high earnings multiple and position below its 200-day moving average leave it vulnerable to profit-taking; its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite a revenue beat. Costco tariff refunds and lawsuit

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $945.47 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $945.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $979.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $419.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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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