Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 1,224 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Metis Global Partners LLC reduced its Costco stake by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 1,224 shares and leaving it with 19,007 shares valued at about $16.39 million.
• Institutional interest in Costco remains strong, with institutions holding 68.48% of the stock and several firms recently opening new positions or increasing their holdings.
• Costco continues to draw bullish analyst attention, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating; the company also recently lifted its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share.

Metis Global Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,007 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,224 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,390,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said investors “buy some here,” reinforcing a bullish view on Costco as a long-term holding despite a tougher consumer backdrop. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported strong May net sales growth, including a 14.5% year-over-year increase, and one article noted digital sales jumped 21% while gas volumes hit a record, signaling healthy demand across key categories. Article title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighted Costco’s continued membership and traffic strength, with analysts and commentators pointing to upside and strong institutional interest in the stock. Article title
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also drawing attention for ESG and governance reasons after CEO Ron Vachris was recognized for board diversity leadership, which may matter to some investors but is not an immediate earnings driver. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is fighting a class-action lawsuit over its $5 rotisserie chicken, with plaintiffs alleging misleading “no preservatives” marketing, creating a potential reputational and legal overhang. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary also suggests Costco may face tougher comparisons in a price-sensitive consumer environment, with rivals like Dollar Tree seen as having a pricing advantage on smaller-pack items. Article title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on COST. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on 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. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $983.37 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. 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's fifty day moving average price is $1,006.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $966.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $436.10 billion, a PE ratio of 49.47, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

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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