Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Up 1.3% - What's Next?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 1.3% during trading on Friday. The company traded as high as $1,109.50 and last traded at $1,106.21. 1,866,967 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 16% from the average daily volume of 2,209,808 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,092.21.

Recent Costco Wholesale Headlines

Investors following COST have been watching these headlines:

• 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
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary cautions that Costco’s valuation is demanding, potentially limiting upside if growth or earnings disappoint. EVP Teresa Jones also sold 900 shares for about $976,000, though one insider sale alone does not establish a broader trend. Article: Does Costco's Special Dividend Offer Enough Reason to Buy the Stock? Article: Costco Wholesale Stock: Insider Teresa Jones Sells 900 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: A voluntary recall of Kirkland Signature whipped cream over possible cleaning-chemical contamination could create limited reputational or operational concerns; Costco also faces a federal suit alleging misleading discounts. Article: Thanksgiving staple recalled at Costco over possible contamination with cleaning chemical Article: Costco faces federal suit over misleading discounts

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,143.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a market capitalization of $490.19 billion, a PE ratio of 53.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $963.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $974.45.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced 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 business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The business's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $30.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,096.01, for a total value of $828,583.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,112 shares in the company, valued at $3,410,783.12. This trade represents a 19.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,956 shares of company stock worth $4,873,216. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.7% in the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 404,379 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $368,122,000 after purchasing an additional 25,240 shares in the last quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.9% in the third quarter. 49 Wealth Management LLC now owns 920 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $837,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Reliant Wealth Planning purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $533,000. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,481 shares of the retailer's stock worth $10,451,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avant Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $193,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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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