Deutsche Bank AG Buys 289,497 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,414,746 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 289,497 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned approximately 0.32% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,219,992,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,937,286 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,395,301,000 after acquiring an additional 77,650 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,518,341 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,034,006,000 after acquiring an additional 170,979 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on COST. Bank of America upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported record demand for gasoline, which reinforces traffic and engagement at its warehouses and supports the company’s value proposition. Costco sees record demand for gas since Middle East war
• Positive Sentiment: Its digital sales jumped more than 21%, signaling continued momentum in e-commerce and omnichannel growth. Costco’s Digital Sales Jumped 21% and Gas Volumes Hit a Record. So Why Did COST Stock Drop 5%?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco also lowered prices on select Kirkland Signature products, a move that could strengthen member loyalty and help drive traffic as shoppers look for value. Costco lowers prices on four private-label products across food, home goods and sports equipment aisles
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears unreliable in the filing shown, so it does not provide a clear read on sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the strong operational updates, investors appeared to focus on valuation and near-term stock weakness, with commentary noting the shares have been falling in recent weeks. Should You Buy Costco Wholesale Stock While It’s Below $1,000?

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $968.59 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,006.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $965.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $429.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.88. 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, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. 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.