Ethic Inc. Buys 1,610 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Ethic Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 10.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,299 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,610 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,918,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $213,362,000. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 638.7% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $225,023,000 after purchasing an additional 196,537 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.3%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $447.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.46, a PEG ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $998.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $951.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,046.03.

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

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale 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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