Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Trims Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management trimmed its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,521 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 828 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Integrity Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.7% in the first quarter. Integrity Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 518 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $516,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.9% during the first quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 14,687 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $14,635,000 after acquiring an additional 1,561 shares in the last quarter. V2 Financial group LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 10.3% in the first quarter. V2 Financial group LLC now owns 1,255 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,251,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. WJ Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 6.2% in the first quarter. WJ Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,401 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,392,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, HBW Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,453 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,447,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on COST. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of COST opened at $926.43 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $410.85 billion, a PE ratio of 46.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $981.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $976.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital described Costco as one of retail’s best stories and a top industry player, pointing to its unique membership model, market share gains, and resilient consumer demand. Several articles highlighted that the stock was gaining on the analyst optimism, which helped support the shares. Article: Costco Stock (COST) Gains As Analyst Says It Is ‘One of the Best Stories in Retail’
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on Costco’s June sales and digital growth suggested the retailer is still seeing strong demand, with its low-price, high-volume model continuing to attract shoppers and defend market share. Article: Are Costco’s June Sales Enough to Defend Its Rich Valuation?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pieces compared Costco with Walmart, generally framing COST as an elite defensive retailer but noting that investors are weighing Costco’s premium valuation against its growth durability. Article: Costco vs. Walmart: 1 Dividend-Paying Retail Giant Stands Above the Other
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about Costco’s cultural popularity and employee success reinforced the brand’s strength and consumer appeal, but they are not likely to materially move the stock on their own. Article: The One Thing Everyone in America Can Agree On? Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit over an allegedly contaminated protein powder product, which could raise concerns about quality controls and consumer trust if the case gains traction. Article: Costco (COST) Faces Protein Powder Heavy Metals Lawsuit And A Test Of Trust
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts also flagged that Costco’s rich valuation and slowing comparable-sales growth could limit further upside, even though the business remains fundamentally strong. Article: Are Costco’s June Sales Enough to Defend Its Rich Valuation?

About Costco Wholesale

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.