Rathbones Group PLC Sells 38,703 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Rathbones Group PLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.1% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 235,962 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 38,703 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.9% of Rathbones Group PLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $235,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of COST. Palisade Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. Citigroup started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment 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 MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $951.89 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $955.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $982.38. The firm has a market cap of $422.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued 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). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial publications continue to highlight Costco’s strong momentum, durable membership model, consistent profit growth and long-term shareholder returns. One analysis suggests the retailer could eventually pursue trillion-dollar-company status if it sustains warehouse expansion, membership growth and operating execution. Why Costco Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s reported experiment with expanding or changing gasoline sales could create another source of traffic, member engagement and revenue over time, although the financial impact remains uncertain. Costco Gasoline Sales Experiment
• Positive Sentiment: New product partnerships and continued customer interest—including expanded beverage distribution and popular food offerings—reinforce Costco’s ability to attract shoppers and support sales, though these developments are not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Coco5 Costco Partnership

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.