Integrity Alliance LLC. Decreases Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Integrity Alliance LLC. decreased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.8% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 16,245 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 822 shares during the quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,197,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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: Medicare expansion creates a new growth opportunity. Costco is partnering with nonprofit insurer SCAN Group to offer limited Costco-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans, initially in select states. The initiative targets Costco’s sizable senior-member base and gives the retailer exposure to the large Medicare market, although the financial contribution is likely to develop gradually. Costco Enters The Medicare Insurance Market
• Positive Sentiment: Costco increased its dividend by 13.1%. The raise signals confidence in cash generation and strengthens the shareholder-return case, though the regular dividend yield remains relatively modest because of COST’s high share price. Costco Just Upped Its Dividend by 13.1%
• Positive Sentiment: Additional growth engines are emerging. Analysts point to Costco’s membership model, Kirkland Signature products, retail media, artificial-intelligence-powered search and pharmacy operations as areas that could support growth beyond warehouse sales. Costco Is Quietly Building Its Next Big Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Product news is likely to have limited stock impact. Costco brought back a popular discontinued item, which may support member engagement but is not material to companywide earnings. Costco Brought Back a Popular Favorite
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and retail concerns are weighing on the shares. COST trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving less room for execution disappointments. Its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite revenue exceeding expectations, while the stock declined more than the broader market in the latest session. Why Costco Fell More Than the Broader Market

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $933.51 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $413.99 billion, a PE ratio of 46.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The business’s fifty day moving average is $947.83 and its 200 day moving average is $981.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 28.04%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on 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. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale 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 given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.