Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Sells 2,029 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.9% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 232,968 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,029 shares during the quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $217,935,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco reported fourth-quarter net sales of $93.9 billion, up 11.3% year over year. Digitally enabled comparable sales increased 19.5%, suggesting e-commerce and omnichannel initiatives remain important growth drivers. Costco’s Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker raised Costco from “hold” to “buy” and established a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. However, the upgrade has not yet overcome broader selling pressure. Costco Stock Falls Despite Freedom Broker Upgrade to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Returns and liquidation operations: Reports that Costco resells some returned merchandise through liquidation and B-stock auctions provide additional context on its inventory practices. The activity appears operational rather than a major new earnings catalyst, although it may help recover value from returned goods. How Costco Resells Items Returned Under Its Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and competitive concerns: Costco’s recent underperformance has renewed debate over whether its high valuation is justified. Jim Cramer argued that the retailer may have lost some of its edge, while other commentary points to competition from discount stores. With a price-to-earnings ratio above 45, investors may be particularly sensitive to any slowdown in growth or membership appeal. Cramer Warns Costco May Have Lost Its Edge
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier bankruptcy headline: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a beverage brand’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights vendor and product-selection risks within its merchandise ecosystem. Loss of Costco Deal Helps Push Beverage Brand Into Chapter 11

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of COST opened at $910.18 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $403.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $942.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $976.18.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was 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 29.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price on the stock. 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 research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,056.03.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.