Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC Takes $1.28 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Gerald Baker Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 1,398 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,281,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. SteelPeak Wealth LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.2% in the first quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 15,440 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,385,000 after acquiring an additional 1,554 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.8% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 103,141 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $102,787,000 after purchasing an additional 21,150 shares in the last quarter. One Day In July LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 1,173 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,169,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the first quarter valued at about $17,616,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective for the company. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is set to go ex-dividend on Friday, July 24, with the payout scheduled for August 7, which may be supporting near-term interest from income-focused investors. 2 Well-Known Stocks Are Ready to Pay You Dividends – But You Must Act Before July 24
• Positive Sentiment: New articles highlighted Costco’s strong long-term performance and continued consumer demand, reinforcing the view that the retailer remains a high-quality defensive name. Verizon to Lay Off 3,000 Workers as Part of Broader Restructuring
• Neutral Sentiment: One report said Costco’s June sales growth slowed, but also noted resilient demand, digital gains, and rising estimates; the takeaway was mixed rather than clearly negative. Is Costco Stock Still a Buy After Its June Sales Update?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article argued Costco still looks expensive after its big multi-year run, which keeps valuation concerns in focus for investors. Costco (COST) Stock Still Looks Overvalued As Its 133% Run Draws Scrutiny
• Neutral Sentiment: Several other stories were broadly informational, including dividend math, comparisons with Walmart, warehouse expansion chatter, and consumer-product placement at Costco, but they do not appear to be major stock drivers on their own. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, 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 the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $945.57 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $419.34 billion, a PE ratio of 47.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.88. 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’s 50-day moving average is $977.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $977.80.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period last year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.