Triasima Portfolio Management inc. Reduces Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Triasima Portfolio Management inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 90.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 475 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 4,314 shares during the quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $410,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

Insider Activity 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 value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,012.79 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $996.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $950.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $449.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.67, a PEG ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

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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