BNP Paribas Buys 4,358 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

BNP Paribas increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1,081.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,761 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,358 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,106,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Deuterium Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $3,492,000. Cercano Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,307.2% in the 4th quarter. Cercano Management LLC now owns 17,139 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,780,000 after purchasing an additional 16,427 shares in the last quarter. COFG Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $415,000. UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,340 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,156,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brentview Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Brentview Investment Management LLC now owns 5,269 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,544,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.32.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $946.11 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $419.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,007.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $963.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.72% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s Q3 comparable sales rose 9.8%, with adjusted comps up 6.6% on higher traffic and bigger baskets, showing healthy underlying demand. Is Costco’s 9.8% Comparable Sales Growth Stronger Than It Looks?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Jefferies said Costco’s value strategy, membership growth, fuel business, and digital operations continue to support sales momentum after a strong fiscal third quarter. Costco’s value strategy, membership growth support outlook after strong quarter, says Jefferies
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a bullish view, calling Costco a “best-of-breed” retailer with strong returns on equity and a $1,000 price target. Costco Wholesale Is A ‘Best-of-Breed Bison,’ Analyst Explains Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary notes that part of the sales growth was boosted by fuel and foreign exchange, suggesting the headline comp number may overstate the core business trend. Is Costco’s 9.8% Comparable Sales Growth Stronger Than It Looks?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles emphasize that despite strong revenue growth, the stock has not been able to build momentum, implying investors may already expect excellent results from Costco. Why Even 12% Revenue Growth in Q3 Wasn’t Enough to Give Costco’s Stock a Boost
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s stock has been falling in the wake of earnings, with investors seemingly taking profits or worrying that membership growth is slowing relative to sales momentum. Why analysts are backing Costco despite its post-earnings slump

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.