Waverly Advisors LLC Purchases 38,723 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 79.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 87,623 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 38,723 shares during the quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $81,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 91,744.7% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 631,103,610 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $590,378,494,000 after acquiring an additional 630,416,468 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on 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. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Freedom Broker upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $1,030.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $918.91 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $939.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $973.86. The firm has a market cap of $407.52 billion, a PE ratio of 46.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.86. 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 Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase supports the investment case. Costco recently raised its dividend by 13%, reinforcing confidence in cash generation and adding to the appeal of the membership-based retailer, although the regular yield remains modest and special dividends can make the headline payout appear higher. Costco dividend article
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term business fundamentals remain a bullish backdrop. Analysts and commentators continue to point to Costco’s scale, limited product assortment, purchasing advantages and resilient same-store sales as reasons the stock could recover after trailing the S&P 500 and trading below its 52-week high. Fourth-quarter results, expected later this month, are the next major potential catalyst. Costco earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Motor-oil pricing reflects supply pressures rather than a company-specific demand problem. Costco raised the price of a 10-quart case of Kirkland Signature full-synthetic motor oil to $57.99 and limited purchases to two cases per member per week. The changes follow higher crude-oil prices and supply disruptions linked to Middle East tensions and Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline closure. Higher prices may protect margins, but the restrictions could affect customer sentiment. Costco motor oil article
• Negative Sentiment: Rationing and sharply higher prices create reputational and traffic risks. Reports that Costco has also capped purchases of Mobil 1 oil—and that some motor-oil prices have risen substantially from last year—evoke earlier pandemic-era product shortages. While the merchandise is a small portion of revenue, frustrated members could view the move negatively or defer purchases. Costco motor oil rationing article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Costco trades at a premium earnings multiple, so investors may require strong sales, membership trends and profit guidance from the upcoming report to justify the valuation. Rising merchandise and operating costs could pressure margins if Costco cannot pass them through broadly. Costco stock performance article

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.

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