Union Savings Bank Takes $2.04 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Costco Wholesale logo with Retail/Wholesale background
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Key Points

  • Union Savings Bank opened a new position in Costco Wholesale, buying 2,366 shares worth about $2.04 million. The stake makes COST its 19th largest holding and about 0.9% of its portfolio.
  • Institutional interest in Costco remains strong, with other hedge funds also modestly increasing positions and 68.48% of the company’s stock held by institutions overall.
  • Wall Street remains broadly positive on Costco, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $1,061.45, though the stock continues to face valuation concerns and mixed analyst opinions.
  • MarketBeat previews the top five stocks to own by July 1st.

Union Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,366 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,040,000. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.9% of Union Savings Bank's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of COST. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer's stock worth $605,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,754,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,760,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,906,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock worth $245,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on COST. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Costco Wholesale

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $951.45 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,000.19 and a 200 day moving average of $969.01. The stock has a market cap of $421.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.86, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

See Also

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).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST)

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.

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