Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Smith Group Asset Management LLC

Smith Group Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,895 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,119 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 3.1% of Smith Group Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Smith Group Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $61,674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco has begun operating its Port St. Lucie, Florida distribution center independently from the power grid using on-site solar generation and battery storage. The project could reduce energy costs, improve resilience and support Costco’s net-zero and sustainability goals. Breaking Free from the Grid, Costco Teams with Trinity Energy to Pioneer True Commercial Energy Independence
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to highlight Costco’s long-term growth profile. Expected earnings growth, recurring membership revenue and strong customer loyalty support the bullish investment case, although the stock already trades at a high earnings multiple. Why Costco Is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature is described as an increasingly important growth engine. Its lower prices, broad product expansion and reported savings of roughly 15% to 20% can strengthen customer loyalty, differentiate Costco and support merchandise margins. Costco’s Kirkland Brand Is Becoming a Powerful Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s use of free water samples illustrates its strategy of encouraging shoppers to discover and purchase new products. Retail experts viewed the tactic as a creative engagement and merchandising initiative, but the article does not indicate a material near-term financial impact. Costco Offered Shoppers Free Samples of Water
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for a proposed Costco store in South Reno remain uncertain, potentially delaying a future contribution from that market. The development issue appears localized and is unlikely to materially affect Costco’s overall valuation. What Happened to the Proposed New South Reno Costco Store?
• Negative Sentiment: Eligible Washington Costco shoppers may receive payments from a reported $14 million settlement. While the settlement appears limited relative to Costco’s size, it creates a legal expense and could add reputational risk. Washington Costco Shoppers Eligible for Cash in $14 Million Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Promotional gas discounts from 7-Eleven are increasing competition for Costco’s fuel business, potentially weakening one of the membership club’s customer-traffic advantages as households remain pressured by high gasoline prices. 7-Eleven Has a Gas Discount That Challenges Costco

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup began 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. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. HC Wainwright restated 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 stock 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 given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.6%

COST opened at $966.58 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $428.66 billion, a PE ratio of 48.62, a P/E/G ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $960.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $981.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted 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 return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be given 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.