GLOBALT Investments LLC GA Sells 619 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

GLOBALT Investments LLC GA decreased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 21.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 2,230 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 619 shares during the quarter. GLOBALT Investments LLC GA’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,923,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened a long-awaited warehouse in New Braunfels, Texas, adding to its store base and reinforcing investor confidence in continued unit growth and market expansion. Long-awaited Costco Wholesale now open in New Braunfels
• Positive Sentiment: Another report confirmed the New Braunfels store is now open for business, underscoring Costco’s ongoing rollout of new locations that can support membership and revenue growth. Costco Wholesale now open for business in New Braunfels
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to favor Costco’s membership-driven model, saying it benefits from resilient grocery demand and supports steady growth even in a volatile retail backdrop. WMT or COST: Which Retail Giant Looks More Attractive Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s purchase of a 55-acre property in Florida suggests the company is still investing in significant long-term store growth, which investors typically view as a sign of confidence in future demand. Costco Just Signed Off on a Massive Retail Real Estate Deal in Florida. Here’s What Investors Need to Know About Costco’s Store Growth Goals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles debating whether Costco is still a good buy after its multi-year rally mostly reinforce that the stock remains a quality business but is expensive, making the reaction more about valuation than any new fundamental change. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Multi Year Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on Costco’s food court chicken tender launch is generating consumer buzz, but the main takeaway is mixed, with some concerns about whether it replaces a favorite item rather than clearly boosting the investment outlook. Costco food court chicken tender launch sparks concerns over item replacement
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent commentary flags Costco’s premium valuation and argues the stock may be difficult to justify at current levels, which can temper enthusiasm despite strong fundamentals. Costco: Strong Fundamentals Meet Growth Premium – A Hold Entering FQ3’26
• Negative Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece argues there is a reason to sell Costco beyond valuation, adding to the cautious tone around the stock’s elevated price level. Costco: Another Reason To Sell (Besides The Valuation)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Gordon Haskett increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,047.27.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,048.95 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,000.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $955.24. The company has a market capitalization of $465.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.55, a PEG ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

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.