UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Has $16.53 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 17,673 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 677 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.8% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,532,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could boost engagement: Costco is now offering delivery for customizable sheet cakes and party platters, improving convenience and potentially encouraging larger, higher-margin event-related purchases. Costco delivery for cakes and party platters
• Positive Sentiment: Physical expansion continues: Costco opened its first warehouse in Celina, Texas, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. New locations can add membership revenue and sales over time, although the financial contribution will develop gradually. Costco opens Celina store
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term investor appeal remains intact: Commentary highlights Costco’s strong competitive moat, membership economics and potential for dividend growth. Its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans also provides a potential new customer-engagement channel. Costco Medicare partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy is both a strength and a challenge: Costco continues to hold its iconic rotisserie chicken at $4.99 by controlling production costs. The price reinforces customer loyalty, but inflation and supply costs could pressure margins if the company maintains the price indefinitely. Costco rotisserie chicken and inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and valuation concerns are weighing on sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while contesting a related class-action lawsuit, creating uncertainty over costs and potential liabilities. Separately, the stock’s high earnings multiple and position below its 200-day moving average leave it vulnerable to profit-taking; its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite a revenue beat. Costco tariff refunds and lawsuit

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.2%

COST opened at $945.47 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. The stock has a market capitalization of $419.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $945.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $979.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the 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 transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

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.