Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Trillium Asset Management LLC

Trillium Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 48,980 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,489 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.4% of Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $44,591,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Seaside Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 14.3% in the third quarter. Seaside Wealth Management Inc. now owns 535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $487,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. AlTi Global Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 26.1% in the third quarter. AlTi Global Inc. now owns 3,304 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,008,000 after buying an additional 684 shares during the period. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 24.8% during the 3rd quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 191 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 359,569 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $327,330,000 after acquiring an additional 6,994 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hansen & Associates Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hansen & Associates Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,067 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,096.01, for a total value of $828,583.56. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,112 shares in the company, valued at $3,410,783.12. This represents a 19.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total value of $975,555.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,698 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,176,347.10. This trade represents a 13.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,956 shares of company stock valued at $4,873,216 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Tigress Financial upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, October 9th. CICC Research assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 target price for the company. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,092.23.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

These are some of the COST headlines that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a one-time $30-per-share special dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion and payable December 4, and authorized a new $4 billion share repurchase program. The capital returns are supporting investor demand and underscore the company’s cash-generation strength. Article: Costco’s Record $30 Dividend Shows Just How Strong Its Cash Machine Is
• Neutral Sentiment: Two executives, Teresa Jones and Sarah Catherine George, disclosed sales of 900 and 756 shares, respectively. Insider sales can attract attention, but the reports do not establish that the transactions reflect a change in business outlook. Article: Costco insider trades
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary cautions that Costco’s valuation is elevated, potentially limiting upside if growth or results fall short of high expectations. Article: Does Costco’s Special Dividend Offer Enough Reason to Buy the Stock?

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ COST traded up $14.00 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,106.21. 1,873,135 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,385,142. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,109.50. The firm has a market cap of $490.19 billion, a PE ratio of 53.29, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $967.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $975.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.