Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Acquired by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 54.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 84,382 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,706 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.6% of Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $76,816,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

These are some of the COST news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: The board also reauthorized a $4 billion stock repurchase program, reinforcing Costco’s capital-return plans. Bernstein raised its price target to $1,155 from $1,143 and maintained an Outperform rating; Mizuho also raised its target following the announcements. Mizuho raises Costco price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts view Costco’s membership-based, value-focused business as relatively defensive amid uncertainty, which may appeal to investors seeking resilience. Costco as a defensive investment
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a counterweight: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco from Buy to Hold, citing the stock’s valuation. Other commentary also warns that the premium price leaves limited room for disappointment, so the special dividend alone may not justify buying at current levels. Freedom Broker downgrade

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. CICC Research assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. TD Cowen began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 30th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,092.23.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,087.61 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $481.95 billion, a PE ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $960.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $973.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a $30.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.