Independent Financial Group LLC Buys New Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Independent Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 17,678 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $17,616,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.5% of Independent Financial Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Enterprise Financial Services Corp boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 15.5% during the first quarter. Enterprise Financial Services Corp now owns 1,189 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,185,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.1% in the first quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 12,490 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $12,445,000 after purchasing an additional 1,733 shares during the last quarter. Smart Money Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.7% in the first quarter. Smart Money Group LLC now owns 535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $533,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 136.0% in the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 59 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the first quarter worth about $84,739,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is set to go ex-dividend on Friday, July 24, with the payout scheduled for August 7, which may be supporting near-term interest from income-focused investors. 2 Well-Known Stocks Are Ready to Pay You Dividends – But You Must Act Before July 24
• Positive Sentiment: New articles highlighted Costco’s strong long-term performance and continued consumer demand, reinforcing the view that the retailer remains a high-quality defensive name. Verizon to Lay Off 3,000 Workers as Part of Broader Restructuring
• Neutral Sentiment: One report said Costco’s June sales growth slowed, but also noted resilient demand, digital gains, and rising estimates; the takeaway was mixed rather than clearly negative. Is Costco Stock Still a Buy After Its June Sales Update?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article argued Costco still looks expensive after its big multi-year run, which keeps valuation concerns in focus for investors. Costco (COST) Stock Still Looks Overvalued As Its 133% Run Draws Scrutiny
• Neutral Sentiment: Several other stories were broadly informational, including dividend math, comparisons with Walmart, warehouse expansion chatter, and consumer-product placement at Costco, but they do not appear to be major stock drivers on their own. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $945.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $977.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $977.80. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued 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 net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.