FLC Capital Advisors Increases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

FLC Capital Advisors lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 48.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,457 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. FLC Capital Advisors’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,118,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.0%

COST opened at $971.87 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,006.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $963.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $431.17 billion, a PE ratio of 48.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business 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. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.