Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. Invests $836,000 in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 839 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $836,000.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after buying an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see Costco’s large cash position, low debt, and steady membership-fee stream as advantages that could help it keep investing through retail headwinds and support future growth. Can Costco Outgrow Retail Headwinds on Balance Sheet Strength?
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary also highlighted stronger executive membership penetration, which can boost higher-margin fee income and improve Costco’s sales mix, with additional growth potential from China expansion. Costco’s Executive Penetration Could Unlock More Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 earnings estimate for Costco, signaling continued confidence in the company’s earnings power beyond the current fiscal year. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Articles focused on Costco’s growing footprint, including new Texas warehouse openings, reinforcing the company’s steady unit expansion and brand strength with consumers. Costco cashes in on 2 new Texas warehouses opening this summer. Here’s where
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent consumer-focused articles and opinion pieces about Costco products and shopping habits are not likely to move the stock much on their own. 7 Costco finds that help you save on warm-weather essentials
• Neutral Sentiment: One recent bullish article argued Costco can generate long-term passive income and capital appreciation, but this is more a thesis piece than a new catalyst. Want $3,000 in Annual Passive Income? Invest $146,000 in Costco in July and Wait 10 Years.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple recent write-ups warn that Costco’s valuation is expensive, with some analysts saying the stock’s strong multi-year run has left limited upside unless growth accelerates further. Costco (COST) Stock Looks Strong On Returns But Expensive On Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary also suggested Costco may have more downside if investors keep focusing on slowing growth versus its premium earnings multiple. Costco Stock: More Pain To Come

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on COST. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $924.67 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $992.50 and a 200-day moving average of $972.25. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $410.07 billion, a PE ratio of 46.51, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the prior year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.