Cercano Management LLC Has $14.78 Million Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Cercano Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2,307.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,139 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,427 shares during the period. Cercano Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,780,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Bank of America upped their target price 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. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,056.32.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s Q3 comparable sales rose 9.8%, with adjusted comps up 6.6% on higher traffic and bigger baskets, showing healthy underlying demand. Is Costco’s 9.8% Comparable Sales Growth Stronger Than It Looks?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Jefferies said Costco’s value strategy, membership growth, fuel business, and digital operations continue to support sales momentum after a strong fiscal third quarter. Costco’s value strategy, membership growth support outlook after strong quarter, says Jefferies
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a bullish view, calling Costco a “best-of-breed” retailer with strong returns on equity and a $1,000 price target. Costco Wholesale Is A ‘Best-of-Breed Bison,’ Analyst Explains Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary notes that part of the sales growth was boosted by fuel and foreign exchange, suggesting the headline comp number may overstate the core business trend. Is Costco’s 9.8% Comparable Sales Growth Stronger Than It Looks?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles emphasize that despite strong revenue growth, the stock has not been able to build momentum, implying investors may already expect excellent results from Costco. Why Even 12% Revenue Growth in Q3 Wasn’t Enough to Give Costco’s Stock a Boost
• Negative Sentiment: Costco’s stock has been falling in the wake of earnings, with investors seemingly taking profits or worrying that membership growth is slowing relative to sales momentum. Why analysts are backing Costco despite its post-earnings slump

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.1%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $946.11 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $419.74 billion, a PE ratio of 47.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,007.23 and a 200-day moving average of $963.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.72%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company 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 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%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

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.