GC Wealth Management RIA LLC Sells 5,246 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• GC Wealth Management cut its stake in Costco by 30.6% in Q4, selling 5,246 shares and leaving it with 11,919 shares worth about $10.28 million.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (from $1.30), payable May 15, representing a $5.88 annualized payout and roughly a 0.6% yield.
• Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" on COST with an average target of about $1,045.97, and several firms recently raised price targets (e.g., UBS $1,175, JPMorgan $1,110).

GC Wealth Management RIA LLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 30.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,919 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 5,246 shares during the period. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Twenty-two equities 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $994.00 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $440.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The company's 50 day moving average is $996.35 and its 200 day moving average is $949.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 27.04%.

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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