State of Alaska Department of Revenue Reduces Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• The State of Alaska Department of Revenue reduced its Costco stake by 5.7%, selling 3,365 shares and leaving 56,110 shares valued at about $48.39 million, roughly 0.5% of its portfolio (its 22nd largest holding).
• Costco beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.58 vs. $4.55) with revenue of $69.6B (up 9.2% Y/Y); the stock trades near $998 with a market cap of ~$443B, a P/E of 51.9, and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (avg. target ~$1,043).
• Institutional ownership is high at 68.48% and several funds modestly increased positions, while insiders sold 3,538 shares (~$3.42M) over the last three months, leaving insiders with just 0.10% ownership.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,110 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,365 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.5% of State of Alaska Department of Revenue's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $48,385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Bridge LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Bridge LLC now owns 2,675 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,307,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Whitener Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,561 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,071,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Watershed Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 425.0% during the fourth quarter. Watershed Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,302 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,122,000 after purchasing an additional 1,054 shares during the period. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. now owns 846 shares of the retailer's stock worth $730,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Finally, KOM Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. KOM Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 304 shares of the retailer's stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $998.47 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $995.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $942.86. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.92, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 3,538 shares of company stock worth $3,416,416 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective 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. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Roth Mkm restated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,043.13.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised membership fees for the first time in seven years, which should boost stable, high-margin subscription revenue and is supported by strong renewal rates that preserve profitability. Costco Raised Membership Fees for the First Time in 7 Years. Here's What Investors Learned From It.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage highlights Costco as one of the top long-term compounders alongside Visa and Intuitive Surgical, reinforcing positive sentiment about durable growth and competitive advantages. These 3 Stocks Have Crushed the Market, and the Next 10 Years Could Be Even Better
• Positive Sentiment: Costco's success in Japan is cited as evidence the membership model and merchandising mix can win in difficult international markets, supporting longer-term store growth and margins abroad. Costco Co-Founder Once Said Japanese Love This Product Because It 'Smells Like America'
• Positive Sentiment: Rising gas prices are driving consumer interest in Costco's gas stations and its co-branded credit card, which can increase store traffic, membership stickiness, and interchange revenue. Soaring gas prices convinced me to switch over to Costco's credit card
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating on COST, signaling no near-term analyst-driven upgrade; that keeps upside expectations muted until clearer catalysts emerge. Costco Wholesale's (COST) Neutral Rating Reiterated at DA Davidson
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on whether a membership is “worth it just for gas” highlights consumer cost-savings benefits but doesn’t materially change fundamentals; it supports demand but is more anecdotal than catalytic. Is a Costco membership worth it just for gas?
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and articles continue to flag Costco's high valuation; one piece lists Costco among overvalued consumer stocks, which could cap near-term gains if broader market sentiment shifts. 2 Overvalued Consumer Stocks Investors Should Buy if a Massive Pullback Occurs

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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