Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Acquires 198,949 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its Costco stake by 80.5% in the first quarter, buying 198,949 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 446,187 shares worth about $444.6 million.
• Costco recently reported quarterly earnings of $4.93 per share, narrowly missing estimates, while revenue came in at $70.53 billion, slightly above expectations. Analysts still expect strong full-year earnings of about $20.42 per share.
• The company declared a $1.47 quarterly dividend payable August 7, and Wall Street remains constructive overall, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of about $1,059.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 80.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 446,187 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 198,949 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.7% of Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned 0.10% of Costco Wholesale worth $444,594,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $935.03 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $965.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $979.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $414.67 billion, a PE ratio of 47.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record demand for Costco Gas is driving more store visits, which can support merchandise sales and membership renewals by increasing overall customer traffic. Costco Gas Demand Hits Record as Low Prices Drive Member Visits
• Positive Sentiment: Costco was highlighted as a stock that can hold up if inflation stays elevated, with its membership model and scale seen as a defensive advantage for investors. 2 Stocks Built to Thrive If Inflation Refuses to Fade (COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Costco favorably overall, with the company reported to have a “Moderate Buy” consensus recommendation. Costco Wholesale Corporation NASDAQ: COST Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Some shoppers may be eligible for cash from Costco’s $14 million settlement in Washington, which is a consumer-relations issue but does not appear large enough to materially change the investment case. Some Costco shoppers could qualify for cash in settlement payout
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data showed 0 shares reported, offering no meaningful new signal on trading pressure or sentiment.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate 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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