International Assets Investment Management LLC Lowers Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

International Assets Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,781 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,083 shares during the quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,755,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remained generally constructive, with multiple firms reiterating Buy/Overweight views and price targets around or above current levels, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside for Costco despite the recent pullback.
• Positive Sentiment: Costco announced a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, reinforcing its shareholder-return profile. Costco stock overview and dividend note
• Positive Sentiment: Management also expanded its digital wallet feature, which could improve checkout speed and customer convenience. Costco makes payment change that could speed up checkout for members
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful change, with reported short interest at zero shares, offering little signal for near-term trading.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are focusing on a slowdown in June sales momentum and weaker adjusted comparable-sales growth, which raises concern that Costco may be losing some near-term growth speed. Reuters article reference
• Negative Sentiment: Competition is intensifying as Walmart and Kroger cut prices, increasing pressure on Costco’s value proposition and margin outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: New headlines about a class-action lawsuit alleging Costco sold protein powder with heavy metals add legal and reputational risk. Consumers sue Costco over heavy metals in protein powder

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST traded up $3.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $916.25. 2,099,105 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,488,933. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $983.66 and its 200-day moving average is $975.25. The stock has a market cap of $406.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.09, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Roth Capital increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.10.

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.