Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: Kestra Investment Management LLC Lowers Holdings

Kestra Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 61.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 616 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 970 shares during the quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $561,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.1% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after purchasing an additional 283,360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ascentis Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,549,616,000 after purchasing an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,087.61 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $481.95 billion, a PE ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $960.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $973.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $30.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on COST shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, October 30th. They set a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Freedom Broker downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $1,010.00 to $1,050.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,143.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,092.23.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

Here are a few of the latest stories about COST:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a $30-per-share special cash dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion, payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24. The payout signals strong cash generation and may support investor demand, though it is a one-time distribution. Costco dividend and repurchase announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts view Costco’s membership-based, value-focused business as relatively defensive amid uncertainty, which may appeal to investors seeking resilience. Costco as a defensive investment
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a counterweight: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco from Buy to Hold, citing the stock’s valuation. Other commentary also warns that the premium price leaves limited room for disappointment, so the special dividend alone may not justify buying at current levels. Freedom Broker downgrade

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.