Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD Acquires 4,953 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD increased its Costco stake by 23.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 4,953 additional shares and bringing its total to 25,991 shares valued at about $22.4 million.
• Costco reported quarterly EPS of $4.93, just below estimates, while revenue came in at $70.53 billion, ahead of expectations. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30.
• Analysts remain generally bullish, with 22 Buy ratings and an average Moderate Buy rating, though Costco’s premium valuation continues to be a concern for some investors.

Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 23.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 25,991 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 4,953 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.5% of Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD's portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $22,413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 655 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $606,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,906,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $245,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LongView Wealth Management raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. LongView Wealth Management now owns 1,025 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $966,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.0%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $971.87 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $431.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1,006.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $963.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday's Market Sell-Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco's Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

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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