WCG Wealth Advisors LLC Invests $9.13 Million in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WCG Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,586 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $9,129,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported May net sales of $24.01 billion, up 14.5% year over year, with comparable sales also showing solid growth across the U.S. and e-commerce. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target to $1,275, citing robust comparable sales and reaccelerating digital sales as signs of sustained operational strength. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen also reaffirmed its Buy rating, reinforcing the view that Costco’s sales momentum and membership model remain attractive to analysts. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Given “Buy” Rating at TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Costco’s strong Q3 results, including EPS of $4.93 and revenue of $70.5 billion, but noted that the stock still trades at a rich valuation, which may limit near-term upside. Is Costco Stock a Buy, Hold or Sell After Its Q3 Earnings Beat?
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles also pointed to Costco’s gasoline-driven traffic, rising membership fees, and digital offerings as longer-term growth drivers, while insider sales and valuation concerns remain factors investors are watching. What Costco Wholesale (COST)’s Gasoline-Fueled Q3 Earnings Beat Means For Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary argued that Costco’s premium multiple leaves little room for error, and one article suggested the stock was downgraded in updated blue-chip rankings. Costco (COST) Keeps Delivering. The Valuation Keeps Getting in the Way

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $961.83 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $426.72 billion, a PE ratio of 48.38, a PEG ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,006.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $963.58. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company 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 28.72%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was 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 directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. 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. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,060.41.

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.