Seamount Financial Group Inc. Sells 1,436 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Seamount Financial Group cut its Costco stake by 44.1% in the first quarter, selling 1,436 shares and leaving it with 1,823 shares valued at about $1.8 million.
• Costco continues to attract bullish analyst attention and institutional support, with multiple firms raising price targets and the consensus rating remaining Moderate Buy. Analysts also expect the company to post strong full-year earnings despite a slight recent EPS miss.
• The retailer is still expanding its footprint and recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share, reinforcing its growth-and-income appeal even as some commentary warns the stock may be expensive.

Seamount Financial Group Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 44.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,823 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,436 shares during the period. Seamount Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,816,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is still expanding its warehouse footprint, with new store plans reported in Florida, South Carolina and Southern California, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. Costco plans to build new warehouse in southern Hillsborough County
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat on Costco’s earnings power, with Erste Group raising FY2027 EPS estimates above consensus, signaling confidence in the retailer’s ability to keep growing profits. Analyst estimate update for Costco Wholesale Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles continue to frame Costco as a strong long-term compounder, supported by its membership model, cash generation, and resilient value proposition for consumers. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a possible 2026 stock split is generating attention, but it does not change Costco’s fundamentals and management has historically been cautious about splitting the stock. With Costco Trading Under $1,000, Is a Stock Split Still on the Table for 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: One comparison piece versus Amazon and a holiday-closure story versus Sam’s Club are more about consumer habits and retail strategy than a direct change in Costco’s outlook. Growth Stock Showdown: Is Costco or Amazon the Better Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns Costco may be expensive on earnings and could face execution risks if fuel-related traffic tailwinds weaken, which could limit upside if growth slows. Costco's Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $951.67 on Friday. 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 one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $422.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.87, a P/E/G ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $991.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $972.72.

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). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on COST. Citigroup initiated 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. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,061.45.

About Costco Wholesale

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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