Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. Acquires Shares of 1,892 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 1,892 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,770,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 750.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong sales momentum supports the investment case. Costco reported August net sales of $23.70 billion, up 9.9% year over year. Fourth-quarter sales rose 11.3% to $93.9 billion, while fiscal-year sales increased 10.2% to $297.3 billion. Total comparable sales grew 8.4% for the year, and digitally enabled sales jumped 20.9%. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports August Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Mizuho reiterated a Buy rating and maintained a $1,100 price target, citing confidence in Costco’s membership-driven growth. Recent analyst targets generally remain above the current trading level, with a reported six-month median target of $1,125. Analyst Reiterates Buy on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Calendar effects clouded the monthly comparison. Costco said the later timing of Labor Day reduced August total and comparable sales growth by slightly less than 75 basis points. Underlying performance remained positive, but investors may look for confirmation in the next report.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next was abruptly discontinued. The company shut down the online Costco Next marketplace without notice. While the service is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results, the move could disappoint members and remove a customer-engagement perk. Costco has ended this online service without notice
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory uncertainty increased. The U.S. Department of Justice expanded an investigation into rising beef prices to include Costco and other major retailers. Potential reputational, legal, or margin-related consequences create an overhang, although no wrongdoing has been established. DOJ expands beef price investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 47 times earnings, with a PEG ratio above 4, and shares remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Insider activity has also consisted of sales rather than purchases in recent months, adding to investor caution.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $928.48 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $944.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $978.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market cap of $411.76 billion, a PE ratio of 46.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on COST shares. Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price for the company. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

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.