Hodges Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 23.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,204 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,253 shares during the period. Hodges Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,189,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer's stock worth $15,835,000 after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock worth $121,098,000 after acquiring an additional 27,625 shares in the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,300,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.
Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale
In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Costco Wholesale
Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market writers continue to highlight Costco as a resilient, long-term compounder with strong membership loyalty, steady cash generation, and a durable business model that can hold up well in a weaker consumer environment. Is Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) a Durable Long-Term Compounder?
- Positive Sentiment: Costco is being viewed as a beneficiary of investors’ preference for defensive, high-quality retail names, with articles pointing to its resilience during economic uncertainty and strong appeal as a reliable consumer staple-like retailer. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Benefits from Investors’ Focus on Resilient Businesses
- Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its retail media efforts through Google Commerce Media and YouTube, which could create a new higher-margin revenue stream if member engagement keeps growing. Can Costco Stock Build a Meaningful Retail Media Business?
- Neutral Sentiment: Several pieces compare Costco with Walmart and discuss which retailer is the better buy, but these are mostly valuation and business-model debates rather than new company-specific catalysts. Costco vs Walmart: What's the Better Retail Stock to Buy Right Now?
- Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-focused headlines about Costco’s food court items, milk pricing, and broader retail resilience are more about shopper behavior and brand interest than a direct earnings driver. Are Costco's famous food court franks available for bulk purchase?
- Negative Sentiment: One article argues Costco lacks the same valuation appeal as another preferred stock pick, which underscores investor concerns that COST may already be priced for perfection. When I Try to Imagine the Best Investment Opportunity for the Next 10 Years, Costco Stock Just Doesn't Make the Cut. That's Why I Keep Coming Back to This Stock.
Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1%
Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $950.25 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $990.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $973.36. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $421.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.80, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 29.58%.
About Costco Wholesale
(
Free Report)
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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