Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Trimmed by Peachtree Investment Partners LLC

Peachtree Investment Partners LLC cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,135 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 749 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 3.5% of Peachtree Investment Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Peachtree Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,464,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 182.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $462,265,000 after purchasing an additional 346,208 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday’s Market Sell-Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco’s Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $971.87 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,006.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $963.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $431.17 billion, a PE ratio of 48.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. 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 yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on COST. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.