Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,363 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,097 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.7% of Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $66,081,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Callahan Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 10.0% in the third quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC now owns 770 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $713,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 183.8% in the third quarter. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. now owns 12,827 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,873,000 after buying an additional 8,307 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 4,727 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,375,000 after acquiring an additional 354 shares during the period. Parthenon LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Parthenon LLC now owns 1,303 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,206,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sovran Advisors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 6,411 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,899,000 after purchasing an additional 811 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $983.25 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $900.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $929.44. The company has a market capitalization of $436.44 billion, a PE ratio of 52.66, a P/E/G ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Gordon Haskett decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Roth Mkm set a $769.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.