Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Sells 2,638 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 189,471 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,638 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $177,244,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during 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. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco reported fourth-quarter net sales of $93.9 billion, up 11.3% year over year. Digitally enabled comparable sales increased 19.5%, suggesting e-commerce and omnichannel initiatives remain important growth drivers. Costco’s Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker raised Costco from “hold” to “buy” and established a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. However, the upgrade has not yet overcome broader selling pressure. Costco Stock Falls Despite Freedom Broker Upgrade to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Returns and liquidation operations: Reports that Costco resells some returned merchandise through liquidation and B-stock auctions provide additional context on its inventory practices. The activity appears operational rather than a major new earnings catalyst, although it may help recover value from returned goods. How Costco Resells Items Returned Under Its Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and competitive concerns: Costco’s recent underperformance has renewed debate over whether its high valuation is justified. Jim Cramer argued that the retailer may have lost some of its edge, while other commentary points to competition from discount stores. With a price-to-earnings ratio above 45, investors may be particularly sensitive to any slowdown in growth or membership appeal. Cramer Warns Costco May Have Lost Its Edge
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier bankruptcy headline: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a beverage brand’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights vendor and product-selection risks within its merchandise ecosystem. Loss of Costco Deal Helps Push Beverage Brand Into Chapter 11

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Roth Capital upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,030.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,056.03.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s 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 directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $910.18 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $942.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $976.18. The company has a market capitalization of $403.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.78, a PEG ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.