TD Asset Management Inc Sells 176,198 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• TD Asset Management cut its Costco stake by 19% in Q4, selling 176,198 shares and leaving it with 752,300 shares worth about $648.7 million at quarter-end.
• Costco reported mixed quarterly results: EPS of $4.93 slightly missed estimates by $0.01, while revenue of $70.53 billion came in above expectations and was up from a year earlier.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

TD Asset Management Inc decreased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 19.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 752,300 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 176,198 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc owned about 0.17% of Costco Wholesale worth $648,738,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intellectus Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC now owns 388 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,353 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,892,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Greenspring Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 198.7% in the 4th quarter. Greenspring Advisors LLC now owns 2,318 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,999,000 after purchasing an additional 1,542 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 96.2% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 51 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC now owns 609 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $525,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

COST opened at $961.83 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,006.79 and a 200-day moving average of $963.58. The stock has a market cap of $426.72 billion, a PE ratio of 48.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.72% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS 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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on COST. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported May net sales of $24.01 billion, up 14.5% year over year, with comparable sales also showing solid growth across the U.S. and e-commerce. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target to $1,275, citing robust comparable sales and reaccelerating digital sales as signs of sustained operational strength. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen also reaffirmed its Buy rating, reinforcing the view that Costco’s sales momentum and membership model remain attractive to analysts. Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Given "Buy" Rating at TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Costco’s strong Q3 results, including EPS of $4.93 and revenue of $70.5 billion, but noted that the stock still trades at a rich valuation, which may limit near-term upside. Is Costco Stock a Buy, Hold or Sell After Its Q3 Earnings Beat?
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles also pointed to Costco’s gasoline-driven traffic, rising membership fees, and digital offerings as longer-term growth drivers, while insider sales and valuation concerns remain factors investors are watching. What Costco Wholesale (COST)'s Gasoline-Fueled Q3 Earnings Beat Means For Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary argued that Costco’s premium multiple leaves little room for error, and one article suggested the stock was downgraded in updated blue-chip rankings. Costco (COST) Keeps Delivering. The Valuation Keeps Getting in the Way

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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).

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.