Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Increased by Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 65,057 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,100 shares during the quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $60,219,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Capital & Planning LLC now owns 3,567 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of COST stock opened at $978.14 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $434.17 billion, a PE ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s fifty day moving average is $918.42 and its 200-day moving average is $931.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Hovde Group initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,009.00.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Company 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.