Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $10.60 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Erste Asset Management GmbH increased its Costco stake by 57.3% in the fourth quarter, ending with 12,047 shares valued at about $10.6 million.
• Several other hedge funds also boosted or initiated positions in Costco, and institutional investors now own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
• Analysts remain mostly constructive on Costco, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $1,060.41, while the company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share.

Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 57.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,047 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 4,389 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,596,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of COST. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 182.4% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer's stock worth $462,265,000 after buying an additional 346,208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer's stock worth $441,919,000 after buying an additional 252,453 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Costco lowered prices on several Kirkland Signature/private-label items, including food, home goods, and sports equipment, signaling a continued focus on member value and traffic retention. Costco lowers prices on four private-label products across food, home goods and sports equipment aisles
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Costco is cutting prices on popular Kirkland items, which could strengthen its value image versus competitors and help keep members shopping more often. Why Costco Just Voluntarily Lowered Prices on These Popular Kirkland Items
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital business showed strong momentum, with digital comps up sharply and app traffic rising, suggesting a bigger opportunity for online sales and personalization-driven growth. Costco’s Lowered Prices Show Why Shoppers Keep Returning
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s digital surge as a sign the retailer may be becoming an even stronger omnichannel winner. Costco Leans On Kirkland Price Cuts To Support Growth Narrative
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and shopping guides featured Costco products for summer and Fourth of July hosting, which adds visibility but is unlikely to materially move the stock. 9 Costco finds to host the best Fourth of July BBQ ever
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary about CEO Ron Vachris’s rise from the warehouse floor is largely narrative-driven and does not appear to change the near-term outlook. Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from the warehouse floor to the corner office without a college degree—and he says it’s thanks to not job hopping
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Costco’s stock has been falling in recent weeks and is still below recent highs, reflecting some investor caution despite the operational positives. Should You Buy Costco Wholesale Stock While It's Below $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer commentary about $4 gas and inflation pressure could weigh on discretionary spending and keep investors cautious about margins and demand trends. Consumers look resilient on the surface, but $4 gas was a tipping point and Costco members are filling up more often in case prices go even higher

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two equities 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $974.75 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,006.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $964.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $432.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. 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 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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