Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Hyperion Asset Management Ltd

Hyperion Asset Management Ltd grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,656 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.7% of Hyperion Asset Management Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $64,325,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in 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 valued at $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $944.32 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $418.79 billion, a PE ratio of 47.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.87. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $950.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $981.77.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: July sales remained very strong. Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year. Comparable sales increased 8.9% globally and 10.3% in the U.S., while digital sales and membership activity remained healthy. The results suggest Costco continues to attract value-conscious consumers and could support earnings expectations. Costco Delivered Another Strong Sales Print in July
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues. Planned warehouses, including a possible additional North Texas location and a Kent-area project expected to create about 250 jobs, point to continued investment in Costco’s store footprint. The initiatives are a modest long-term growth positive, although they are unlikely to materially affect near-term results. Costco May Add Another Store in North Texas
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings expectations are the next major catalyst. Retail-sector coverage describes COST as consolidating ahead of earnings. Investors will focus on comparable sales, membership trends, margins and whether July’s growth can continue through the remainder of the year. Reported short interest of zero shares appears inconsistent with normal market data and provides no meaningful trading signal. Retail Stocks Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is limiting upside. Analysts acknowledge Costco’s resilient demand, membership strength and high-quality business model, but question whether its premium valuation already discounts much of the good news. With a trailing P/E near 47.5, even solid results may not be enough if growth slows or management guidance disappoints. Are Costco’s July Sales Solid Enough to Justify Its Premium Valuation?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price 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. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

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.