Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC Purchases New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,398 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,281,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.2% in the first quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 15,440 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,385,000 after acquiring an additional 1,554 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.8% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 103,141 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $102,787,000 after purchasing an additional 21,150 shares during the last quarter. One Day In July LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.0% during the first quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 1,173 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,169,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the first quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 1st quarter valued at about $17,616,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group lifted their price target on 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. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is set to go ex-dividend on Friday, July 24, with the payout scheduled for August 7, which may be supporting near-term interest from income-focused investors. 2 Well-Known Stocks Are Ready to Pay You Dividends – But You Must Act Before July 24
• Positive Sentiment: New articles highlighted Costco’s strong long-term performance and continued consumer demand, reinforcing the view that the retailer remains a high-quality defensive name. Verizon to Lay Off 3,000 Workers as Part of Broader Restructuring
• Neutral Sentiment: One report said Costco’s June sales growth slowed, but also noted resilient demand, digital gains, and rising estimates; the takeaway was mixed rather than clearly negative. Is Costco Stock Still a Buy After Its June Sales Update?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article argued Costco still looks expensive after its big multi-year run, which keeps valuation concerns in focus for investors. Costco (COST) Stock Still Looks Overvalued As Its 133% Run Draws Scrutiny
• Neutral Sentiment: Several other stories were broadly informational, including dividend math, comparisons with Walmart, warehouse expansion chatter, and consumer-product placement at Costco, but they do not appear to be major stock drivers on their own. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 3.2%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $945.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $419.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a PEG ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $977.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $977.80. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.