Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sarah Catherine George Sells 756 Shares of Company Stock

Key Points

• Costco EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares for about $828,584 at an average price of $1,096.01, reducing her holdings by 19.54% to 3,112 shares.
• Costco’s latest quarterly results beat expectations: EPS was $6.75 versus a $6.54 consensus, while revenue rose 11.1% year over year to $95.72 billion.
• The company announced a $30-per-share special dividend, payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,096.01, for a total value of $828,583.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,112 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,410,783.12. This represents a 19.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock traded up $14.00 on Friday, reaching $1,106.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,867,706 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,209,850. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $963.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $974.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,109.50. The company has a market capitalization of $490.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on COST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,015.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $6,781,946,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer's stock worth $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $2,362,188,000. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% during the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,549,616,000 after purchasing an additional 2,497,652 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at $726,689,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here's some of the latest news about COST:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a $30-per-share special dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion and payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24, alongside a new $4 billion share-repurchase authorization through 2030. The large cash return has helped lift investor sentiment and reflects strong cash generation. Article: Did Record Special Dividend Just Shift Costco Wholesale's Investment Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say sales are accelerating, and investors have also sought defensive stocks amid uncertainty around AI-sector shares—supportive factors as Costco approaches its next results. Article: Costco's Record $30 Dividend Shows Just How Strong Its Cash Machine Is
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s quarterly results are due after the market close on December 10. Investors will look for operating performance to validate the upbeat outlook and recent share strength. Article: Costco Hits All-Time High Amid $4 Billion Buyback, Special Dividend

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

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