Midwest Trust Co Has $81.37 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Midwest Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 81,663 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.0% of Midwest Trust Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Midwest Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $81,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $9,300,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST traded up $3.28 during trading on Friday, reaching $916.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,099,105 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,488,933. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $406.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 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. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $983.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $975.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,061.10.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

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.