Trillium Asset Management LLC Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Trillium Asset Management purchased 46,491 Costco shares worth approximately $43.5 million in the second quarter, making Costco its 16th-largest holding and about 1.3% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of COST.
• Costco shares opened at $943.89, with a market capitalization of $418.6 billion and a high valuation of 47.48 times earnings. The stock pays an annualized dividend of $5.88, yielding approximately 0.6%.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,059.53, though some commentary warns that Costco’s elevated valuation could limit returns if growth slows.

Trillium Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 46,491 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $43,494,000. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.3% of Trillium Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position.

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

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
• Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2%

COST stock opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a PE ratio of 47.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $945.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $979.60. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Roth Capital increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale 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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