Fisher Asset Management LLC Raises Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Fisher Asset Management increased its Costco stake by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, ending with 3.18 million shares valued at about $2.74 billion.
• Institutional interest in Costco remains strong overall, with hedge funds and other institutional investors owning 68.48% of the stock and several firms raising their positions recently.
• Analysts continue to be constructive on Costco, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,052.60; the company also topped quarterly EPS and revenue estimates and recently raised its dividend.

Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,176,286 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 31,045 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned 0.72% of Costco Wholesale worth $2,739,039,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. FORA Capital LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer's stock worth $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock worth $121,098,000 after buying an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,911,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related 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 transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a top momentum and growth name, with multiple recent pieces highlighting strong long-term performance and continued investor interest as the shares trade near record levels. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation about a possible stock split has intensified after Costco broke back above the $1,000 share-price milestone, which can boost sentiment by making the stock seem more accessible to retail investors. Costco Stock Split Rumors Explode as COST Smashes $1,000 Milestone Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market coverage continue to point to Costco’s solid operating momentum and long-term return profile, reinforcing the view that the business is executing well even after a big run-up. A Look At Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation As Shares Trade Near Recent Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint, including rezoning and land purchase activity for new locations, which supports long-term growth but is not likely to move the stock much on its own. New details emerge in proposed north Macon Costco project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also seeing incremental membership-related promotion and seasonal deal coverage, which may help traffic but appears too small to materially affect the share price near term. This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 - here's how to get it
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure is coming from valuation concerns: several articles note that Costco’s stock is already priced for strong execution, leaving little room for disappointment after the recent rally. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco also traded lower in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, sparking broader concern about the consumer-retail backdrop. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart's Q1 Report: What's Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing headlines around tariff refunds and a tax dispute in Japan, adding some legal and regulatory noise, though these issues do not appear to be the main driver of today’s move. Costco suit highlights gaps in $166B tariff refund process

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,028.24 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,007.87 and a 200 day moving average of $960.36. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $456.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

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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