Trajan Wealth LLC Cuts Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Trajan Wealth LLC lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,958 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 910 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 1.4% of Trajan Wealth LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Trajan Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $33,595,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.9%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $476.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.85, a PEG ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $1,006.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $958.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 from $1,205 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after its strong rally. Benzinga: Costco Wholesale had its price target raised by UBS Group AG from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be driving more traffic to Costco’s warehouse clubs as shoppers seek discounted fuel, which could support membership visits and sales. Benzinga: Higher Gas Prices Have Consumers Visiting Costco, Sam’s Club More
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat ahead of Q3, with UBS and other commentators saying Costco should post another strong update despite macro pressures, helped by stable renewal rates and resilient demand. Yahoo Finance: Costco Expected to Deliver Strong Q3 Results Despite Macro Pressures, UBS Says

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.