Fortis Group Advisors LLC Has $3.42 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Fortis Group Advisors LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 108.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,635 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,417,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on COST shares. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

COST opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,006.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $958.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $476.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal 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 dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 value 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 approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 from $1,205 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after its strong rally. Benzinga: Costco Wholesale had its price target raised by UBS Group AG from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be driving more traffic to Costco’s warehouse clubs as shoppers seek discounted fuel, which could support membership visits and sales. Benzinga: Higher Gas Prices Have Consumers Visiting Costco, Sam’s Club More
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat ahead of Q3, with UBS and other commentators saying Costco should post another strong update despite macro pressures, helped by stable renewal rates and resilient demand. Yahoo Finance: Costco Expected to Deliver Strong Q3 Results Despite Macro Pressures, UBS Says

Costco Wholesale 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.