Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Holdings Lowered by Sapient Capital LLC

Sapient Capital LLC decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 72,806 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 931 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.9% of Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $68,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $9,300,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong July sales support the growth narrative. Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year. Sales for the first 48 weeks rose 10.1% to $273.55 billion, suggesting resilient consumer demand and continued momentum across its warehouse business. Comparable sales also increased, a key measure for retail investors. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports July Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: New warehouse openings are drawing strong customer interest. Reports from the Capital Region and Oconomowoc describe enthusiastic crowds for Costco’s latest locations. Successful openings can expand the membership base, warehouse footprint and long-term sales potential, although the near-term financial contribution is likely limited. New Costco Opens in Oconomowoc to Enthusiastic Shoppers
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s private-label strategy remains influential. Lord & Taylor is reportedly considering a Costco-like approach centered on private-label merchandise, highlighting the strength of Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand and the competitive value of its membership model. Formerly Bankrupt Lord and Taylor Bets on Costco Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a potential business-center expansion and the role of pharmacy operations offers possible strategic upside, but no specific financial impact or firm expansion plan was provided. Costco Business Center Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is limiting enthusiasm. Analysts and tactical-investing commentary characterize COST as fairly valued or advise patience for a pullback, with one analysis identifying a potential buying range near $820–$860. Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if sales growth slows or results fail to exceed expectations. How Tactical Buyers Should Play Costco Today

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on COST. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Oppenheimer raised their price objective 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, May 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Roth Capital upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $947.82 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. 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 has a market cap of $420.34 billion, a PE ratio of 47.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.87. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $950.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $982.13.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.