Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust Sells 7,856 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Retail Employees Superannuation Trust cut its Costco stake by 44.4%, selling 7,856 shares and retaining 9,856 shares valued at approximately $9.22 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco’s outstanding stock.
• Costco’s latest quarter showed revenue of $70.53 billion, ahead of estimates, but adjusted earnings of $4.93 per share narrowly missed expectations. The company also pays a $1.47 quarterly dividend, equal to a 0.6% yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,059.53, though Costco’s elevated valuation—about 48 times earnings—remains a concern.

Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 44.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,856 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 7,856 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.5% of Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,220,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,549,616,000 after acquiring an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its position 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 worth $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's 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 $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $961.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $426.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.34, a PEG ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $949.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $981.29.

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). 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 analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. 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 currently 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market-share gains in Canada: Costco is now Canada’s second-largest grocery store chain, indicating continued customer adoption and potential for international growth. Costco Wholesale Is Now Canada’s Second Largest Grocery Store Chain
• Positive Sentiment: Resilient value proposition: Analysts continue to highlight Costco’s ability to attract and retain members through low prices, including inexpensive gasoline. This value positioning could support demand as consumers remain selective. Retail Stocks Poised for an Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion remains a growth driver: Seven additional U.S. locations are planned for 2026, adding warehouse capacity and supporting membership and sales growth over time. Seven New Costco Locations Coming in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Tariff-refund uncertainty: Costco says it will return tariff-related refunds to customers, but the timing and mechanics remain unclear. The policy may reinforce customer goodwill, although refunds could create temporary administrative and cash-flow considerations. Costco Tariff Refunds
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational and competitive updates: Costco will close U.S. warehouses on September 7 for Labor Day, while rival BJ’s continues expanding. These developments are unlikely to materially change near-term earnings but highlight ongoing competitive dynamics. Costco Labor Day Closure
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: Despite a recent pullback, Costco’s roughly 48-times P/E ratio leaves limited room for execution misses. Moderating sales growth and potential margin pressure could keep investors cautious, particularly after the latest quarter narrowly missed EPS expectations. Is Costco Stock Worth Buying Now or Still Too Pricey to Touch?

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,120.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, August 6th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,059.53.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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