Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 20.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,673 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 620 shares during the quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,167,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth 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 raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after acquiring an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $370,140,000 after acquiring an additional 5,937 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,060.41.
Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
- Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday’s Market Sell-Off
- Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
- Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
- Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco’s Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
Shares of COST stock opened at $971.87 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $431.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.89, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,006.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $964.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.
Costco Wholesale 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.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale
- These 3 Insurance Stocks Made New 52-Week Highs: Still Time to Buy?
- 3 Stocks Under $20 to Buy Before a Broader Market Rally
- Petco Faces Tough Competition, But Momentum Is Building
- The Lock-In Effect Is Real—These 3 Homebuilders Are Betting on It
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Costco Wholesale Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Costco Wholesale and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
