Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Rothschild Investment LLC

Rothschild Investment LLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,208 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 578 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.0% of Rothschild Investment LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Rothschild Investment LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,288,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brown Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.7% in the third quarter. Brown Wealth Management LLC now owns 305 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $282,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the third quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 655 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $606,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the third quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,906,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $245,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% in the fourth quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $995.20 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $441.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.75, a PEG ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,008.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $962.53.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.98 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.68 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost 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%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported stronger-than-expected sales, including U.S. same-store sales growth of 9.8% and adjusted comparable sales up 6.6%, showing that demand remains resilient even in a pressured consumer environment.
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in above Wall Street expectations, with $70.53 billion in quarterly sales versus estimates of $69.68 billion, reinforcing the company’s ability to keep growing at scale.
• Positive Sentiment: Membership and gas-related traffic appear to be supporting results, with higher fuel prices bringing more shoppers into warehouses and boosting basket sizes and same-store sales.
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 was slightly below the consensus estimate of $4.98, making the report mixed rather than uniformly strong, even though profits still improved year over year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several pre-earnings articles framed Costco as a high-quality defensive retailer with a premium valuation, suggesting investors may continue to focus on whether the stock can justify its elevated multiple.
• Negative Sentiment: The small earnings miss could temper enthusiasm in the near term, especially given the stock’s recent run-up and the market’s high expectations heading into the print.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on COST shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,051.18.

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.