WINTON GROUP Ltd Has $14.29 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WINTON GROUP Ltd grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 85.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 16,571 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,641 shares during the quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,290,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after buying an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third 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. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 182.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $462,265,000 after buying an additional 346,208 shares during the period. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $441,919,000 after buying an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted another strong month, with May net sales up 14.5% year over year to $24.01 billion and comparable sales still running at a healthy pace, reinforcing the view that traffic and spending trends remain solid. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continued to point to Costco’s defensive fundamentals, strong U.S. comparable sales, fuel-driven traffic, and growing digital business as reasons for optimism on the stock. Costco Stock (COST) Keeps Wall Street Split despite Accelerating Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s ability to hold up during the broader market sell-off underscored its reputation as a defensive retailer, which may have helped support investor interest. Why Costco Stock Held Steady During Friday’s Market Sell-Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a high-quality long-term compounder, but also emphasized that its premium valuation leaves less room for error if growth slows. Costco stock price shocks market despite major blowout quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s valuation remains a debate point on Wall Street, with some analysts maintaining Buy ratings and high price targets while others argue the stock already reflects much of the good news. Costco: Robust Comps and Reaccelerating Digital Sales Support Buy Rating, Price Target Reaffirmed at $1275
• Negative Sentiment: One recent note argued that Costco’s strong quarter was not enough to offset valuation worries, suggesting investors may be hesitant to pay up after the recent sales-driven rally. Costco’s Strong Quarter Still Leaves Investors with a Valuation Problem

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $971.87 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,006.71 and a 200-day moving average of $963.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $431.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The firm 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 posted $4.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target 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. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

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.