Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by FourThought Financial Partners LLC

FourThought Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 13,847 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 727 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.0% of FourThought Financial Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. FourThought Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,941,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 19,726 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $17,010,000 after acquiring an additional 3,831 shares during the period. Twin Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,646 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,731,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.6% in the 4th quarter. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,907 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,645,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 108.1% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 3,635 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Finally, Griffin Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Griffin Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,703 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,505,000 after acquiring an additional 568 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,006.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $958.67. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $476.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.85, a PEG ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,052.60.

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.