Trust Co. of Vermont Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 52,299 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $48,924,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.8% of Trust Co. of Vermont’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on 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. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Truist Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, 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 through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $945.47 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $419.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $945.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $979.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Delivery expansion could boost engagement: Costco is now offering delivery for customizable sheet cakes and party platters, improving convenience and potentially encouraging larger, higher-margin event-related purchases. Costco delivery for cakes and party platters
• Positive Sentiment: Physical expansion continues: Costco opened its first warehouse in Celina, Texas, one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. New locations can add membership revenue and sales over time, although the financial contribution will develop gradually. Costco opens Celina store
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term investor appeal remains intact: Commentary highlights Costco’s strong competitive moat, membership economics and potential for dividend growth. Its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans also provides a potential new customer-engagement channel. Costco Medicare partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Pricing strategy is both a strength and a challenge: Costco continues to hold its iconic rotisserie chicken at $4.99 by controlling production costs. The price reinforces customer loyalty, but inflation and supply costs could pressure margins if the company maintains the price indefinitely. Costco rotisserie chicken and inflation
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and valuation concerns are weighing on sentiment: Costco is refunding certain tariff duties while contesting a related class-action lawsuit, creating uncertainty over costs and potential liabilities. Separately, the stock’s high earnings multiple and position below its 200-day moving average leave it vulnerable to profit-taking; its latest quarterly EPS narrowly missed estimates despite a revenue beat. Costco tariff refunds and lawsuit

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.