Churchill Financial Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Churchill Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,558 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,518,000. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.0% of Churchill Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 182.4% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $462,265,000 after purchasing an additional 346,208 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $213,362,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,028.24 on Monday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $456.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,007.87 and a 200-day moving average of $960.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a top momentum and growth name, with multiple recent pieces highlighting strong long-term performance and continued investor interest as the shares trade near record levels. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation about a possible stock split has intensified after Costco broke back above the $1,000 share-price milestone, which can boost sentiment by making the stock seem more accessible to retail investors. Costco Stock Split Rumors Explode as COST Smashes $1,000 Milestone Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market coverage continue to point to Costco’s solid operating momentum and long-term return profile, reinforcing the view that the business is executing well even after a big run-up. A Look At Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation As Shares Trade Near Recent Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint, including rezoning and land purchase activity for new locations, which supports long-term growth but is not likely to move the stock much on its own. New details emerge in proposed north Macon Costco project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also seeing incremental membership-related promotion and seasonal deal coverage, which may help traffic but appears too small to materially affect the share price near term. This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 – here’s how to get it
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure is coming from valuation concerns: several articles note that Costco’s stock is already priced for strong execution, leaving little room for disappointment after the recent rally. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco also traded lower in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, sparking broader concern about the consumer-retail backdrop. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart’s Q1 Report: What’s Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing headlines around tariff refunds and a tax dispute in Japan, adding some legal and regulatory noise, though these issues do not appear to be the main driver of today’s move. Costco suit highlights gaps in $166B tariff refund process

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.