Unio Capital LLC Cuts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Unio Capital LLC trimmed its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,114 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,859 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 10.9% of Unio Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Unio Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $50,932,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after buying an additional 27,625 shares in the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,072,000 after buying an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record demand for Costco Gas is driving more store visits, which can support merchandise sales and membership renewals by increasing overall customer traffic. Costco Gas Demand Hits Record as Low Prices Drive Member Visits
• Positive Sentiment: Costco was highlighted as a stock that can hold up if inflation stays elevated, with its membership model and scale seen as a defensive advantage for investors. 2 Stocks Built to Thrive If Inflation Refuses to Fade (COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Costco favorably overall, with the company reported to have a “Moderate Buy” consensus recommendation. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Some shoppers may be eligible for cash from Costco’s $14 million settlement in Washington, which is a consumer-relations issue but does not appear large enough to materially change the investment case. Some Costco shoppers could qualify for cash in settlement payout
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data showed 0 shares reported, offering no meaningful new signal on trading pressure or sentiment.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Oppenheimer lifted 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 report on Tuesday, May 19th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of 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. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Roth Capital upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. 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 data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.0%

COST stock opened at $935.03 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $965.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $979.93. 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 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $414.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.03, a P/E/G ratio of 4.52 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its 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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current 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 is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

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.