Natural Investments LLC Acquires 803 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Natural Investments LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 24.0% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,144 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 803 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.9% of Natural Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Natural Investments LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,876,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $933.51 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $947.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $981.19. The company has a market capitalization of $413.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.96, a P/E/G 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.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $1.47 dividend. 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 payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.