Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Sarasin & Partners LLP

Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 13,795 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.3% of Sarasin & Partners LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Sarasin & Partners LLP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $200,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after purchasing an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target 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. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $949.15 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $950.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $982.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $420.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.87. 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.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong July sales support the investment case. Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year, while sales for the first 48 weeks of the fiscal year rose 10.1% to $273.55 billion. The results indicate continued customer traffic and spending momentum and are likely the main reason the stock has increased. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports July Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable-store sales also improved in July. MarketWatch reported that Costco’s same-store sales increased, suggesting that growth was not driven solely by new warehouse openings. Broad-based comparable sales are generally viewed favorably because they indicate stronger underlying demand and member engagement. Costco Same-Store Sales Rise in July
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s brand strategy continues to attract attention. Lord & Taylor is reportedly pursuing a Costco-like model, including greater emphasis on private-label merchandise. The comparison highlights the strength of Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand and the competitive advantages of its membership and private-label ecosystem. Formerly bankrupt department store bets on Costco strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain focused on valuation. A TipRanks review noted that COST has risen about 10% year to date while inflation remains a concern. Strong sales support earnings expectations, but the stock’s high earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointing results or slowing growth. Is Costco Stock Still a Good Buy After Its July Sales Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about student benefits, new groceries, and higher-income consumer spending provide lifestyle or industry context but do not materially change Costco’s earnings outlook. Costco Student Discount
• Negative Sentiment: A proposed tax-sharing agreement connected to a potential Costco and gas-station development has drawn opposition from local residents. The issue appears localized and is unlikely to affect Costco’s near-term financial results, but it could create permitting or reputational friction. Residents Oppose Tax-Sharing Agreement

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.