BCS Wealth Management Sells 686 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

BCS Wealth Management lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 57.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 510 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 686 shares during the quarter. BCS Wealth Management’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $508,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts and market commentators remained constructive on Costco, highlighting its resilient membership model, digital gains, and global expansion as reasons it may outperform other retailers. Costco vs. Target: Which Discount Retailer Holds More Promise?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco also drew favorable valuation/upside coverage, with one report calling for about 10% upside and a path toward $1,000 per share, reinforcing the idea that the recent pullback may be an entry point. Costco Stock Price Prediction: A Path to $1,000 and Double-Digit Upside
• Positive Sentiment: News that Costco is opening two new locations this week, plus approval for another warehouse site, underscores continued store-count expansion and long-term growth potential. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where ‘I can say it’s a Costco’ | engineer says as P&Z approves rezoning for wholesale warehouse
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Costco with Target emphasized that Costco’s quarterly sales are now more than double Target’s, with seasonal sales strength highlighting the power of its warehouse model. Target vs. Costco: What Their Revenue Trends Tell Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles also framed Costco as a defensive stock that could hold up well during a market correction, which supports investor confidence but is not company-specific news. Costco, Exxon, and 17 More Winners if the Market Drops
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary noted strong sales growth and high membership renewals, but also said the stock fell anyway, suggesting investors may be weighing valuation after a strong run. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional pieces about new products, store openings, and shopping trends mainly reinforce Costco’s brand strength and traffic drivers, but are less likely to move the stock on their own.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $960.78 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market cap of $426.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $997.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $970.33.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results 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 during 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 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on COST. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

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.