Peninsula Asset Management Inc. Acquires New Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Peninsula Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 625 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $623,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Harmony Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 36.0% in the 1st quarter. Harmony Asset Management LLC now owns 495 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $493,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,432.0% in the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 154,450 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $153,899,000 after purchasing an additional 148,350 shares during the period. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.1% in the first quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH now owns 5,460 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,441,000 after buying an additional 1,094 shares in the last quarter. NFSG Corp raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the first quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 3,870 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,856,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.6% during the first quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 10,001 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $9,963,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $916.54 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $406.47 billion, a PE ratio of 46.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $978.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $977.29.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its 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). 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 in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s launch of Borealis Foods’ Chef Woo high-protein noodles is drawing strong early member demand, highlighting Costco’s ability to quickly scale trending, health-oriented products and support traffic in its warehouses. Borealis Foods Expands Access to Protein-Rich Chef Woo Noodles Through Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Another report says Costco will open seven new warehouse locations in August, reinforcing the company’s steady expansion strategy and long-term membership growth potential. Costco announces 7 new warehouse locations to open in August
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage with a $1,000 price target, signaling Wall Street still sees upside from current levels despite recent weakness. Costco Wholesale is now covered by Royal Bank Of Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces focused on Costco’s dividend, valuation, and reputation as a defensive retailer; these are supportive of the investment case, but they do not appear to be immediate stock-moving catalysts. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles praised Costco’s resilience in uncertain consumer conditions and its success in international markets, but these were mainly background/analyst commentary rather than new fundamental developments. Casey’s, Costco, and Other Consumer Stocks for Uncertain Times
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage noted Costco’s stock has been weak recently and that investors are questioning whether the dip is a buying opportunity, which can keep sentiment cautious in the near term. Costco Stock: Buy the Dip?

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’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 value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.