Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Sells 1,720 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 55,270 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,720 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.7% of Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $55,073,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s launch of Borealis Foods’ Chef Woo high-protein noodles is drawing strong early member demand, highlighting Costco’s ability to quickly scale trending, health-oriented products and support traffic in its warehouses. Borealis Foods Expands Access to Protein-Rich Chef Woo Noodles Through Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Another report says Costco will open seven new warehouse locations in August, reinforcing the company’s steady expansion strategy and long-term membership growth potential. Costco announces 7 new warehouse locations to open in August
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage with a $1,000 price target, signaling Wall Street still sees upside from current levels despite recent weakness. Costco Wholesale is now covered by Royal Bank Of Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces focused on Costco’s dividend, valuation, and reputation as a defensive retailer; these are supportive of the investment case, but they do not appear to be immediate stock-moving catalysts. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles praised Costco’s resilience in uncertain consumer conditions and its success in international markets, but these were mainly background/analyst commentary rather than new fundamental developments. Casey’s, Costco, and Other Consumer Stocks for Uncertain Times
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage noted Costco’s stock has been weak recently and that investors are questioning whether the dip is a buying opportunity, which can keep sentiment cautious in the near term. Costco Stock: Buy the Dip?

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

COST stock opened at $916.54 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $978.42 and its 200 day moving average is $977.29. The stock has a market cap of $406.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Capital raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.07.

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.