Panagora Asset Management Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 23.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 171,313 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,120 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $147,730,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research 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 data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s record gasoline sales are supporting member traffic and loyalty, while elevated fuel prices and value-seeking shoppers may help drive in-store and ancillary spending. Costco Leans On Gasoline, E Commerce And Wellness To Deepen Member Value
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to highlight Costco as a long-term growth story, pointing to accelerating comparable sales, strong cash generation, and growing credit for its digital business. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also notes that digitally enabled sales are outpacing the core warehouse business, reinforcing the view that Costco’s online and omnichannel strategy is becoming a more important growth engine. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Shows How Digitally Enabled Sales Are Outrunning Its Core Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles suggesting Costco could approach $1,100 by 2027 may support a bullish valuation narrative, but they are largely speculative and depend on continued execution. Can Costco Stock Break $1,100 by 2027?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite strong sales trends, some investors remain cautious about Costco’s premium valuation, and recent commentary notes that the stock has seen volatility as the market reassesses how much growth is already priced in. Costco Wholesale (COST) Stock Valuation After Strong May Sales And Growing Digital And Gas Volumes

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $979.45 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.37 billion, a PE ratio of 49.27, a P/E/G ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,004.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $967.91.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.28 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.