United Bank Buys New Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

United Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 6,050 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,660,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.7% of United Bank’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after purchasing 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 buying an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. 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 buying an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market capitalization of $418.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.48, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $945.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $979.60.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on COST. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
• Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

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 transaction, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.