Swedbank AB Has $641.15 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Swedbank AB slightly increased its Costco stake in the first quarter, ending with 643,451 shares valued at about $641.15 million, or 0.15% of the company.
• Costco reported fiscal quarter EPS of $4.93, narrowly missing estimates by $0.01, while revenue came in at $70.53 billion, slightly above expectations.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and Wall Street sentiment remains positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price around $1,061.45.

Swedbank AB grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 0.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 643,451 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,410 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned 0.15% of Costco Wholesale worth $641,154,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Wealth Effects LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer's stock worth $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer's stock worth $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,760,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of COST stock traded up $0.84 on Tuesday, reaching $951.10. 563,397 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,229,966. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company has a 50-day moving average of $990.38 and a 200-day moving average of $973.36. The company has a market cap of $421.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.92, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts are described as increasingly optimistic on Costco, which can support the stock by reinforcing the market’s view that the company still deserves a premium valuation. Is Costco (COST) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlight Costco as a durable long-term compounder and a resilient business, suggesting investors continue to favor its defensive model and steady membership-driven cash flow. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Benefits from Investors’ Focus on Resilient Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s move to build a retail media business with Google Commerce Media and YouTube could open a new high-margin revenue stream, which investors may view as a meaningful growth lever. Can Costco Stock Build a Meaningful Retail Media Business?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting Costco is benefiting from investor preference for resilient consumer businesses may help the stock if the market remains focused on defensive retail names amid economic uncertainty. Is Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) a Durable Long-Term Compounder?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple stories comparing Costco with Walmart and other retail peers keep the stock in focus, but these pieces are more discussion-oriented than company-specific catalysts. Costco vs Walmart: What's the Better Retail Stock to Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about Costco’s famous hot dog, food-court franks, and milk are largely consumer-interest pieces and are unlikely to materially affect the stock. Are Costco's famous food court franks available for bulk purchase?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary argues Costco’s valuation leaves limited upside versus cheaper alternatives, which could weigh on sentiment if investors become more valuation-sensitive. When I Try to Imagine the Best Investment Opportunity for the Next 10 Years, Costco Stock Just Doesn't Make the Cut. That's Why I Keep Coming Back to This Stock.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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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