Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Evolve Private Wealth LLC

Evolve Private Wealth LLC lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 21.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,263 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,977 shares during the period. Evolve Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,237,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Center For Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Center For Asset Management LLC now owns 261 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. CWC Advisors LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.7% in the first quarter. CWC Advisors LLC. now owns 697 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $695,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Ballast Rock Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the first quarter valued at about $231,000. Strong Tower Advisory Services grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.5% in the first quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services now owns 3,959 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,945,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Terra Nova Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.7% in the first quarter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC now owns 3,532 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,519,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Roth Mkm raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $951.35 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $421.90 billion, a PE ratio of 47.85, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $998.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $969.62. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 last year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary said Costco’s membership model looks even stronger, citing higher renewal rates, executive upgrades, and solid fee income growth that point to durable customer loyalty and steady recurring revenue. Is Costco Wholesale’s Membership Model Getting Even Stronger?
• Positive Sentiment: Higher fuel prices may be sending more shoppers to Costco gas stations, which can increase in-store traffic and support a spillover lift in merchandise sales. 1 Big Catalyst for Costco Stock Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: One article argued that Costco’s low-price model can remain resilient even if the Fed keeps rates elevated, because value-oriented shopping tends to hold up well in inflationary periods. 1 Reason Why the Fed’s Decision to Keep Interest Rates Steady Is No Match for Costco Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also getting attention as a potential beneficiary of heavy summer spending and online competition, but the articles focus more on Amazon’s Prime Day and broader retail activity than on a direct new catalyst for Costco. Amazon’s Prime Day sale could spur $26.3B in US e-commerce
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also chatter about Costco’s CFO and the timing of a possible special dividend, but the discussion did not confirm any new payout decision, so it is more of a speculation-driven headline than a clear catalyst. Costco’s CFO just answered the special-dividend question
• Negative Sentiment: One report noted that some Costco members are raising inventory complaints, which could hint at occasional merchandising or availability issues that may frustrate shoppers. Costco members voice surprising inventory complaint
• Negative Sentiment: A Fortune report said quartz countertop fabrication has caused serious lung disease among workers, including in jobs tied to Costco kitchens, which could add reputational or legal pressure. Your quartz countertop is the new asbestos — for the workers who cut it

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.