Plato Investment Management Ltd Invests $11.67 Million in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 12,544 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $11,666,000. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.7% of Plato Investment Management Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% during the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership program remains a key long-term growth engine, with recurring membership revenue and renewal strength potentially supporting profitability and cash flow. Costco Has a Secret Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators continue to view Costco as a durable long-term compounder; one projection suggests a $10,000 investment could grow to $13,400 over five years, although that is an opinion rather than company guidance. Costco Five-Year Investment Projection
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its physical footprint with a new Celina, Texas, warehouse, while a delivery upgrade could improve convenience and sales of popular merchandise. Costco Celina Warehouse
• Positive Sentiment: A partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans could create an additional member-engagement and revenue opportunity, though the financial impact is not yet clear. Costco and SCAN Medicare Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: New projects in Newington, New Hampshire, involving Costco and other companies are advancing, but the report provides limited information on Costco’s direct financial benefit. Newington Projects Advance
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s premium valuation leaves little room for disappointment: the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $4.93, narrowly missing the $4.94 consensus estimate, despite revenue exceeding expectations. Its P/E ratio near 47 also increases sensitivity to weaker-than-expected results. Costco Stock Performance and Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while defending a related class-action lawsuit. Refund costs, possible liabilities, and reputational concerns may weigh on investor sentiment. Costco Tariff Refunds and Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure is increasing as JCPenney targets the same value-oriented, “treasure hunt” retail appeal, potentially challenging Costco’s customer engagement at the margin. JCPenney Targets Costco’s Retail Strategy

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $934.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $945.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $980.16. The company has a market cap of $414.50 billion, a PE ratio of 47.02, a P/E/G ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale 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.