Nuveen LLC Sells 336,382 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC reduced its Costco stake by 13.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 336,382 shares and leaving it with 2.17 million shares valued at about $1.87 billion.
• Costco’s latest quarter was mixed: EPS came in at $4.93, just below estimates, while revenue of $70.53 billion slightly topped expectations. The company remains highly profitable, with a 28.04% return on equity.
• The retailer boosted its dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and analysts remain broadly constructive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price around $1,060.41.

Nuveen LLC lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 13.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,172,719 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 336,382 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.5% of Nuveen LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.49% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,873,623,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Graney & King LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 173 shares of the retailer's stock worth $171,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Seneschal Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Seneschal Advisors LLC now owns 3,142 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,110,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,906,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. PCG Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. PCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 536 shares of the retailer's stock worth $496,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $975.69 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $432.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.08, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,005.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $966.63.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their earnings estimates for Costco, lifting FY2026 EPS to $20.49 and FY2027 EPS to $22.61, slightly above prior forecasts and reinforcing confidence in Costco’s long-term earnings power.
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he thinks investors should “buy some here,” adding another public bullish call on Costco and keeping the stock in focus as a defensive long-term holding.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces highlighted Costco’s membership-fee model as a durable, recurring-revenue engine, which continues to appeal to investors looking for steady compounding and defensive growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s CEO is set to receive a leadership honor for advancing women in corporate governance, adding a modest ESG/governance positive for institutional investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles noted that Costco allows some shopping without a membership in the U.S., a consumer-facing detail that may support traffic but is not likely to materially change fundamentals on its own. Confirmed: Costco Reveals the Only Way to Shop Without a Membership Anywhere in the United States
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is fighting a lawsuit over claims that its $5 rotisserie chicken is falsely advertised as having “no preservatives,” which creates headline risk but has not yet been shown to affect operations. Costco fires back over lawsuit tied to iconic product as shoppers claim false advertising
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary comparing Costco with Dollar Tree suggested tighter consumer budgets could increase competition on value, which may pressure pricing power at the margin if shoppers trade down.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. 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 has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Company 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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