Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC Sells 2,520 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Wealthcare Advisory Partners cut its Costco stake by 28.3%, selling 2,520 shares and retaining 6,390 shares valued at approximately $5.98 million. Institutional investors collectively own 68.48% of Costco.
• Costco shares opened at $944.32, with a market capitalization of about $418.8 billion and a high valuation, including a trailing P/E ratio of 47.5. The stock’s annual dividend is $5.88 per share, yielding roughly 0.6%.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,059.53. Investors will focus on comparable sales, membership trends and margins, following quarterly revenue of $70.53 billion and slightly below-consensus EPS of $4.93.

Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 28.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,390 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,520 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,977,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $944.32 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $950.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $981.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: July sales remained very strong. Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year. Comparable sales increased 8.9% globally and 10.3% in the U.S., while digital sales and membership activity remained healthy. The results suggest Costco continues to attract value-conscious consumers and could support earnings expectations. Costco Delivered Another Strong Sales Print in July
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues. Planned warehouses, including a possible additional North Texas location and a Kent-area project expected to create about 250 jobs, point to continued investment in Costco’s store footprint. The initiatives are a modest long-term growth positive, although they are unlikely to materially affect near-term results. Costco May Add Another Store in North Texas
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings expectations are the next major catalyst. Retail-sector coverage describes COST as consolidating ahead of earnings. Investors will focus on comparable sales, membership trends, margins and whether July’s growth can continue through the remainder of the year. Reported short interest of zero shares appears inconsistent with normal market data and provides no meaningful trading signal. Retail Stocks Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is limiting upside. Analysts acknowledge Costco’s resilient demand, membership strength and high-quality business model, but question whether its premium valuation already discounts much of the good news. With a trailing P/E near 47.5, even solid results may not be enough if growth slows or management guidance disappoints. Are Costco’s July Sales Solid Enough to Justify Its Premium Valuation?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on COST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,120.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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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