Goldenstone Wealth Management LLC Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Goldenstone Wealth Management initiated a new position in Costco during the fourth quarter, buying 956 shares worth about $825,000.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with major investors like Vanguard, Amundi, and Fisher Asset Management adding to their Costco stakes; hedge funds and other institutions now own 68.48% of the stock.
• Analysts are broadly bullish on Costco: UBS, BMO Capital Markets, and Bank of America all raised or initiated positive views, while Costco also recently beat earnings and revenue estimates and increased its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share.

Goldenstone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 956 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $825,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in 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. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,911,331,000 after buying an additional 34,826 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,499,246,000 after buying an additional 127,495 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,120,787,000 after buying an additional 8,259 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 from $1,205 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after its strong rally. Benzinga: Costco Wholesale had its price target raised by UBS Group AG from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be driving more traffic to Costco’s warehouse clubs as shoppers seek discounted fuel, which could support membership visits and sales. Benzinga: Higher Gas Prices Have Consumers Visiting Costco, Sam's Club More
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat ahead of Q3, with UBS and other commentators saying Costco should post another strong update despite macro pressures, helped by stable renewal rates and resilient demand. Yahoo Finance: Costco Expected to Deliver Strong Q3 Results Despite Macro Pressures, UBS Says

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following 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 filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Twenty-two 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $1,006.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $958.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $476.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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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