Pacer Advisors Inc. Reduces Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Pacer Advisors Inc. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 40.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 44,035 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 30,032 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $43,878,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% during the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,094,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 Up 0.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $954.08 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $423.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.99, a P/E/G ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $953.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $982.47.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on COST shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target 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. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: High renewal rates reinforce Costco’s recurring-revenue model. The company’s U.S.-Canada renewal rate reached 92.2%, while executive memberships and digital customer retention continued to grow. The trends suggest Costco is maintaining strong customer loyalty despite changes in its membership mix. Costco’s Renewal Trends Point to Lasting Customer Loyalty
• Positive Sentiment: Membership initiatives appear to be addressing customer concerns. Analysts cited Costco’s value proposition, membership growth and retention as key strengths, supporting the long-term outlook for membership-fee income and customer traffic. Costco’s changes fix members’ biggest problems
• Positive Sentiment: Demographic expansion could support future membership growth. Interest from Gen Z consumers suggests Costco may be attracting younger households, potentially extending its customer base and supporting long-term renewal trends. Your Gen Z grandkid wants a Costco membership
• Neutral Sentiment: A market article included Costco among cash-generating companies worth researching, but cautioned that strong cash flow alone does not guarantee successful reinvestment or growth. 2 Cash-Producing Stocks to Research Further and 1 We Avoid
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports highlighting a popular frozen food item and broader market strength may support brand engagement and general sentiment, but they are unlikely to materially affect Costco’s earnings outlook. One of Costco’s best frozen items is secretly a delicious Raising Cane’s dupe
• Negative Sentiment: Costco agreed to a $14 million settlement related to allegedly misleading urgency-based emails. The financial charge is modest relative to Costco’s size, but the matter creates compliance and reputational risk. Costco’s $14M settlement over fake urgency emails
• Negative Sentiment: Optimistic forecasts that Costco could eventually reach a $1 trillion valuation underscore its growth potential, but also highlight investor concerns about the stock’s already elevated valuation and limited room for execution mistakes. Prediction: Costco Will Become a Trillion Dollar Company on This Date

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.