71 West Capital Partners Makes New $2 Million Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

71 West Capital Partners acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,319 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,000,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,195,415,000. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20,936.6% in the fourth quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 970,840 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $837,194,000 after acquiring an additional 966,225 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $979.45 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $434.37 billion, a PE ratio of 49.27, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $1,004.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $967.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders 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 represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s record gasoline sales are supporting member traffic and loyalty, while elevated fuel prices and value-seeking shoppers may help drive in-store and ancillary spending. Costco Leans On Gasoline, E Commerce And Wellness To Deepen Member Value
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to highlight Costco as a long-term growth story, pointing to accelerating comparable sales, strong cash generation, and growing credit for its digital business. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also notes that digitally enabled sales are outpacing the core warehouse business, reinforcing the view that Costco’s online and omnichannel strategy is becoming a more important growth engine. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Shows How Digitally Enabled Sales Are Outrunning Its Core Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles suggesting Costco could approach $1,100 by 2027 may support a bullish valuation narrative, but they are largely speculative and depend on continued execution. Can Costco Stock Break $1,100 by 2027?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite strong sales trends, some investors remain cautious about Costco’s premium valuation, and recent commentary notes that the stock has seen volatility as the market reassesses how much growth is already priced in. Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Valuation After Strong May Sales And Growing Digital And Gas Volumes

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on COST. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. UBS Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, 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. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,060.41.

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.