WNY Asset Management LLC Invests $754,000 in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WNY Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 806 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $754,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $9,300,000. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,813,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong August sales: Net sales increased 9.9% year over year, with comparable sales rising across regions and digitally enabled sales advancing 17.9%. The figures point to resilient member demand and continued e-commerce momentum. Costco’s August Sales Rise 9.9% as Digital Growth Stays Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains broad: BTIG reiterated a Buy rating with a $1,125 target, while Bank of America maintained its Buy rating and $1,200 target. Analysts cited resilient core performance, market-share gains, and higher earnings estimates. BTIG Reaffirms Buy on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term shareholder appeal: Commentary highlighted Costco’s consistent dividend growth since 2004, membership model, customer loyalty, and potential for continued earnings expansion.
• Neutral Sentiment: Store expansion: Costco is reportedly considering a new location in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, supporting its long-term warehouse growth strategy, although the potential site has no immediate earnings impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst valuation signals: DA Davidson reaffirmed a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target, while Bernstein retained a Buy rating but lowered its target to $1,144, indicating less room for upside despite confidence in the business.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: Jim Cramer and other commentators argued that COST trades at roughly 43–49 times earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Cramer Says Costco at 49 Times Earnings Is the Mistake Loyal Shoppers Keep Making
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: The Department of Justice expanded a beef-pricing antitrust inquiry to Costco, seeking information on prices, costs, margins, purchasing, and supply-chain practices. Potential compliance costs or scrutiny could pressure sentiment. US DOJ Widens Beef Price Inquiry
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next shutdown: The company’s online marketplace reportedly went offline without notice, raising questions about its digital strategy, although the platform is not viewed as central to Costco’s core business. Costco Next Online Marketplace Shut Down

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth 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 transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial lifted their price objective 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. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,056.90.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $915.74 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. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $943.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $977.46. The company has a market cap of $406.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale Company 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.