Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.3% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 10,525 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 896 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,846,000 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 COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $947.82 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $420.34 billion, a PE ratio of 47.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $950.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $982.00.

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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

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.