Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Simmons Bank

Simmons Bank grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 13,298 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 568 shares during the period. Simmons Bank’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 1,941 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,816,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. New Republic Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 308.1% during the 2nd quarter. New Republic Capital LLC now owns 3,273 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,062,000 after purchasing an additional 2,471 shares during the last quarter. Rossmore Private Capital lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Rossmore Private Capital now owns 7,714 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,216,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Avail Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Avail Investment Partners LLC now owns 379 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $355,000 after buying an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Code Waechter LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Code Waechter LLC now owns 439 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $411,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of COST stock opened at $933.51 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 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 company’s 50-day moving average price is $947.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $981.19. The stock has a market cap of $413.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.96, a PEG ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on 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. Roth Capital boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” 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, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Medicare expansion creates a new growth opportunity. Costco is partnering with nonprofit insurer SCAN Group to offer limited Costco-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans, initially in select states. The initiative targets Costco’s sizable senior-member base and gives the retailer exposure to the large Medicare market, although the financial contribution is likely to develop gradually. Costco Enters The Medicare Insurance Market
• Positive Sentiment: Costco increased its dividend by 13.1%. The raise signals confidence in cash generation and strengthens the shareholder-return case, though the regular dividend yield remains relatively modest because of COST’s high share price. Costco Just Upped Its Dividend by 13.1%
• Positive Sentiment: Additional growth engines are emerging. Analysts point to Costco’s membership model, Kirkland Signature products, retail media, artificial-intelligence-powered search and pharmacy operations as areas that could support growth beyond warehouse sales. Costco Is Quietly Building Its Next Big Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Product news is likely to have limited stock impact. Costco brought back a popular discontinued item, which may support member engagement but is not material to companywide earnings. Costco Brought Back a Popular Favorite
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and retail concerns are weighing on the shares. COST trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving less room for execution disappointments. Its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite revenue exceeding expectations, while the stock declined more than the broader market in the latest session. Why Costco Fell More Than the Broader Market

About Costco Wholesale

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.