VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Sells 5,720 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al cut its Costco stake by 17.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,720 shares and ending with 27,087 shares worth about $23.4 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive: multiple analysts lifted price targets, and the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a median target of $1,047.27.
• Costco reported solid results, beating EPS and revenue estimates last quarter, and it also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,087 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 5,720 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,358,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third 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 acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,047.27.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen’s bullish take after a headquarters visit suggested Costco still has room to grow, while noting the company’s biggest risk is complacency rather than weakening demand. ‘Costco’s (COST) Biggest Risk Is Being Complacent,’ Analyst Says After HQ Visit
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales strength and accelerating e-commerce business were highlighted as evidence that momentum remains solid, which could support revenue expectations going forward. Should Investors Buy Costco Stock Now After Strong April Retail Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco acquired a 55-acre site in Fort Myers, a move that signals continued physical expansion and long-term growth potential. Costco Acquires 55-Acre Site in Fort Myers, Marking One of Southwest Florida's Largest and Highest-Value Land Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market commentaries compared Costco with Walmart and other retailers, but the main takeaway was that Costco still looks like a quality operator even as valuation remains rich. Walmart vs Costco Wholesale: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about a redesigned gas station in California and a new Costco-linked retail purchase order for GEN Korean BBQ point to Costco’s broad ecosystem, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. California Costco plans to demolish its gas station — and reveals plans for brand new facility GEN Korean BBQ Secures Its First Direct Southern California and Hawaii Regional Costco Purchase Order
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles focused on Costco’s elevated valuation and suggested investors may want to wait or even trim positions, reflecting concern that expectations are already high. Is It Time to Sell Costco Stock? Costco At $1,000: Buy, Sell or Hold?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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 company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

COST stock opened at $1,033.08 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $458.33 billion, a PE ratio of 53.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $999.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $953.63. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS 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. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

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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