AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Sells 49,527 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 147,586 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 49,527 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $127,269,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,047.27.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,041.25 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1,000.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $954.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $461.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.15, a PEG ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco acquired a 55-acre site in Fort Myers, Florida, signaling room for a major new warehouse or related retail development and supporting its expansion strategy. Costco Acquires 55-Acre Site in Fort Myers, Marking One of Southwest Florida’s Largest and Highest-Value Land Sales
• Positive Sentiment: New commentary highlighted Costco’s strong membership economics, noting 82.1 million paid memberships and an 89.7% global renewal rate, which suggests resilient recurring revenue even as inflation pressures households. Inflation Just Hit 3.8% and Nine Out of Ten Costco Members Re-Up Every Year. Here Is Why That Math Matters.
• Positive Sentiment: Additional bullish coverage emphasized Costco’s durable business model and continued store-growth potential, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s long-term earnings power. Costco Just Signed Off on a Massive Retail Real Estate Deal in Florida. Here’s What Investors Need to Know About Costco’s Store Growth Goals.
• Neutral Sentiment: One analyst note argued Costco remains a strong company but is still trading at a premium valuation, which may temper enthusiasm even with solid fundamentals. Costco: Strong Fundamentals Meet Growth Premium – A Hold Entering FQ3’26
• Negative Sentiment: Another Seeking Alpha piece raised a bearish view on Costco, suggesting valuation remains a reason to sell despite the company’s operational strength. Costco: Another Reason To Sell (Besides The Valuation)

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.