New England Research & Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 358.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,215 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the quarter. New England Research & Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,048,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% during the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Costco Wholesale Stock Performance
Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.
Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.04%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Costco Wholesale
More Costco Wholesale News
Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Costco is keeping fuel prices low with a deliberate pricing strategy to stay cheaper than competitors, which can drive continued traffic and membership value. As Gas Prices Soar, Costco’s Using This Smart Strategy To Stay Cheaper Than Most
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive: consensus ratings across brokerages show a majority buy/moderate-buy stance, supporting investor confidence. Costco Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
- Positive Sentiment: Costco upgraded its retail-media platform, a potential new ad-revenue stream that can boost margins over time. Costco upgrades its retail media platform
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups (seeking-alpha coverage and long-term valuation defenses) are reinforcing the narrative that Costco’s membership model and pricing power can sustain outperformance. Costco: A Likely Outperformer Based On The Business Model
- Neutral Sentiment: CEO Ron Vachris addressed questions about the $1.50 hot dog combo, offering clarity to a vocal part of Costco’s brand/PR — removes a potential source of uncertainty but has limited direct earnings impact. Costco CEO gives update on future of $1.50 hot dog and soda combo
- Neutral Sentiment: Costco added new Kirkland Signature items (and launched a private-label refrigerated dog food), moves that can deepen margins and member loyalty but may take time to scale. Costco adds Kirkland Signature items
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage and investor-interest pieces (Zacks, Yahoo, TipRanks) are drawing attention to COST, which can amplify trading activity but not necessarily change fundamentals. Costco is Attracting Investor Attention
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: COST trades at a premium (P/E around 50x), leaving limited room for error if same-store sales or margin expansion disappoint — this makes the stock sensitive to any weaker-than-expected data.
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.
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