W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co Has $13.41 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co increased its Costco stake by 12.1% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 13,461 shares valued at about $13.41 million. Costco now ranks as the firm’s 27th-largest position and makes up 1.1% of its portfolio.
• Several institutional investors also boosted their Costco holdings, and 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutions, underscoring continued professional investor interest in the retailer.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with Costco carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price of $1,059.07, though valuation concerns persist after its strong run and recent sales growth showed some slowing. The company also recently reported quarterly earnings just below estimates and declared a $1.47 quarterly dividend.

W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 12.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,461 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 1,452 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.1% of W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co's portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. W.G. Shaheen & Associates DBA Whitney & Co's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer's stock worth $15,835,000 after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $19,072,000 after purchasing an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is set to go ex-dividend on Friday, July 24, with the payout scheduled for August 7, which may be supporting near-term interest from income-focused investors. 2 Well-Known Stocks Are Ready to Pay You Dividends – But You Must Act Before July 24
• Positive Sentiment: New articles highlighted Costco’s strong long-term performance and continued consumer demand, reinforcing the view that the retailer remains a high-quality defensive name. Verizon to Lay Off 3,000 Workers as Part of Broader Restructuring
• Neutral Sentiment: One report said Costco’s June sales growth slowed, but also noted resilient demand, digital gains, and rising estimates; the takeaway was mixed rather than clearly negative. Is Costco Stock Still a Buy After Its June Sales Update?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article argued Costco still looks expensive after its big multi-year run, which keeps valuation concerns in focus for investors. Costco (COST) Stock Still Looks Overvalued As Its 133% Run Draws Scrutiny
• Neutral Sentiment: Several other stories were broadly informational, including dividend math, comparisons with Walmart, warehouse expansion chatter, and consumer-product placement at Costco, but they do not appear to be major stock drivers on their own. Here's How Many Shares of Costco Stock You'd Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $945.57 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month 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. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $977.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $977.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $419.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 29.58%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

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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