Bessemer Group Inc. Acquires 76,209 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 669,797 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 76,209 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.0% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $667,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Bank of America increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $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 through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $945.57 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap 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. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $977.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $977.80.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.