Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 21,521 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 828 shares during the quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital described Costco as one of retail’s best stories and a top industry player, pointing to its unique membership model, market share gains, and resilient consumer demand. Several articles highlighted that the stock was gaining on the analyst optimism, which helped support the shares. Article: Costco Stock (COST) Gains As Analyst Says It Is ‘One of the Best Stories in Retail’
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on Costco’s June sales and digital growth suggested the retailer is still seeing strong demand, with its low-price, high-volume model continuing to attract shoppers and defend market share. Article: Are Costco’s June Sales Enough to Defend Its Rich Valuation?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pieces compared Costco with Walmart, generally framing COST as an elite defensive retailer but noting that investors are weighing Costco’s premium valuation against its growth durability. Article: Costco vs. Walmart: 1 Dividend-Paying Retail Giant Stands Above the Other
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about Costco’s cultural popularity and employee success reinforced the brand’s strength and consumer appeal, but they are not likely to materially move the stock on their own. Article: The One Thing Everyone in America Can Agree On? Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit over an allegedly contaminated protein powder product, which could raise concerns about quality controls and consumer trust if the case gains traction. Article: Costco (COST) Faces Protein Powder Heavy Metals Lawsuit And A Test Of Trust
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts also flagged that Costco’s rich valuation and slowing comparable-sales growth could limit further upside, even though the business remains fundamentally strong. Article: Are Costco’s June Sales Enough to Defend Its Rich Valuation?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was 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 $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $926.43 on Tuesday. 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 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $410.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.60, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50 day moving average of $981.90 and a 200 day moving average of $976.64.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

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.