Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Teresa Jones Sells 900 Shares of Company Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Teresa Jones sold 900 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total value of $975,555.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,698 shares in the company, valued at $6,176,347.10. This represents a 13.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,092.21 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $963.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $974.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,102.84. The firm has a market cap of $483.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.61, a PEG ratio of 4.81 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Tigress Financial upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,291,669 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,996,538,000 after buying an additional 38,629 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% during the 2nd 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 buying an additional 160,893 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after buying an additional 283,360 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Recent Costco Wholesale Headlines

Investors following COST have been watching these headlines:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco announced a $30-per-share special dividend—about $13.3 billion in total—payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24, and reauthorized a $4 billion share-buyback program. The sizable payout signals strong cash generation and is the main catalyst behind the stock’s recent strength near its 52-week high. Article: Costco to Pay out $30 Special Dividend, Renews $4 Billion Stock Buyback Program
• Negative Sentiment: A federal lawsuit alleging misleading discounts presents a potential legal and reputational overhang; the provided report does not detail the allegations or potential exposure. Article: Costco faces federal suit over misleading discounts
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco to Hold from Buy, citing the stock’s rich price, while an overbought RSI reading points to possible near-term momentum fatigue. Article: Costco Is Up 18% in a Year. Freedom Broker Says That’s Enough

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.