Private Advisory Group LLC Sells 7,130 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Private Advisory Group LLC reduced its Costco stake by 25.8%, selling 7,130 shares in the second quarter and retaining 20,472 shares valued at approximately $19.15 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53, despite Costco shares opening at $956.12 and trading below their 52-week high of $1,096.50.
• Costco’s latest quarterly revenue exceeded expectations at $70.53 billion, although EPS narrowly missed estimates; the company also paid a quarterly dividend of $1.47, equivalent to a 0.6% annual yield.

Private Advisory Group LLC cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 25.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,472 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 7,130 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.0% of Private Advisory Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Private Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $19,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock worth $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares during the period. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on COST. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Roth Capital boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. 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 report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $956.12 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $424.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.09, a P/E/G ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The business's 50 day moving average price is $946.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $980.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership program is being highlighted as an underappreciated growth engine. Recurring membership fees support profitability and customer loyalty, potentially providing a durable catalyst if renewal rates and membership growth remain strong. Costco Has a Secret Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer a limited selection of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplemental plans gives the retailer a potential new membership and services opportunity. The near-term financial impact is unclear, but the initiative could broaden Costco’s ecosystem and customer reach. Healthcare CEO partnering with Costco outlines Medicare offerings
• Neutral Sentiment: Golden Reserve Retirement increased its Costco position by 133.9%, purchasing 592 additional shares. The investment signals confidence, but the resulting holding of only 1,034 shares is too small to materially affect Costco’s outlook. Golden Reserve increases Costco position
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-focused articles highlighting savings, popular products and school snacks reinforce Costco’s value proposition, but they do not provide new financial information likely to move the stock. Coverage also reported zero short interest, though the figures appear incomplete or unreliable.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is refunding customers for duties it says were unlawfully collected on certain tariffed goods while fighting a related class-action lawsuit. Refund costs, possible legal liabilities and reputational damage could pressure results, although the refunds may help preserve customer trust. Why Is Costco Refunding Tariff Duties?

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

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