Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Axiom Investors LLC DE

Axiom Investors LLC DE lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 69.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 35,408 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 80,351 shares during the quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $30,534,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report 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. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported record demand for gasoline, which reinforces traffic and engagement at its warehouses and supports the company’s value proposition. Costco sees record demand for gas since Middle East war
• Positive Sentiment: Its digital sales jumped more than 21%, signaling continued momentum in e-commerce and omnichannel growth. Costco’s Digital Sales Jumped 21% and Gas Volumes Hit a Record. So Why Did COST Stock Drop 5%?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco also lowered prices on select Kirkland Signature products, a move that could strengthen member loyalty and help drive traffic as shoppers look for value. Costco lowers prices on four private-label products across food, home goods and sports equipment aisles
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears unreliable in the filing shown, so it does not provide a clear read on sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the strong operational updates, investors appeared to focus on valuation and near-term stock weakness, with commentary noting the shares have been falling in recent weeks. Should You Buy Costco Wholesale Stock While It’s Below $1,000?

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of COST opened at $968.59 on Wednesday. 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 $429.55 billion, a PE ratio of 48.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,006.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $965.46. 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.