Polaris Financial Partners purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 3,705 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,408,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.6% of Polaris Financial Partners’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding.
Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. CX Institutional grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 103.0% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 13,977 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $12,724,000 after purchasing an additional 7,091 shares in the last quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 512 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 508 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,288 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,083,000 after buying an additional 717 shares during the period. Finally, Defender Capital LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Defender Capital LLC. now owns 11,555 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,519,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Freedom Broker lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Friday, September 25th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,046.27.
Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.6%
COST stock traded up $5.71 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $920.65. 2,018,948 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,201,015. The company has a market cap of $408.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $933.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $965.29.
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.
Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale
In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Key Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco’s gasoline, pharmacy, travel and other ancillary businesses are increasing customer engagement and expanding its share of members’ wallets. These services may support recurring revenue, traffic and margins beyond merchandise sales. Costco’s Ancillary Businesses Expand Share-of-Wallet Opportunity
- Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to pressure traditional grocers through competitive pricing, fresh-food offerings, e-commerce and strong value perception. Growing market share could help sustain sales and membership growth. Has Costco Become Grocery’s Biggest Threat?
- Positive Sentiment: Costco and SCAN Health Plan launched the company’s first Medicare Advantage plans in California and Nevada. The initiative adds another potential member benefit and could create a new avenue for customer engagement, although its financial contribution is not yet clear. SCAN and Costco Launch Medicare Advantage Plans
- Positive Sentiment: New and converted Business Center locations, including projects in Texas and Kansas City, should expand Costco’s commercial customer base and warehouse footprint over time. Costco Business Center Expansion
- Neutral Sentiment: Higher fuel prices contributed roughly three percentage points to fiscal fourth-quarter sales growth. While this boosts reported revenue, it reflects higher prices rather than stronger gasoline volume, making the underlying growth rate less impressive. Is One Number Reason Enough to Sell Costco Stock?
- Negative Sentiment: Rising fuel, freight, supplier and merchandise costs could pressure Costco’s already-thin margins. Investors are watching whether the company absorbs the increases to preserve its value proposition or passes them to customers at the risk of slowing demand. Can Costco Absorb Rising Costs?
- Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Commentary questioning whether its growth justifies the high earnings multiple may restrain further gains even as the company’s operating performance remains solid.
- Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares worth approximately $2.02 million, reducing her direct holdings by 23.57%. The transaction does not change Costco’s fundamentals but may weigh modestly on sentiment. Costco Insider Share Sale
Costco Wholesale Company Profile
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.
Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.
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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).
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