Quantbot Technologies LP Purchases Shares of 7,554 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 7,554 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $7,067,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. 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 during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 103,637.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,500,062 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,549,616,000 after buying an additional 2,497,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,539,346,000 after buying an additional 1,607,833 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong sales momentum supports the investment case. Costco reported August net sales of $23.70 billion, up 9.9% year over year. Fourth-quarter sales rose 11.3% to $93.9 billion, while fiscal-year sales increased 10.2% to $297.3 billion. Total comparable sales grew 8.4% for the year, and digitally enabled sales jumped 20.9%. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports August Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable. Mizuho reiterated a Buy rating and maintained a $1,100 price target, citing confidence in Costco’s membership-driven growth. Recent analyst targets generally remain above the current trading level, with a reported six-month median target of $1,125. Analyst Reiterates Buy on Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Calendar effects clouded the monthly comparison. Costco said the later timing of Labor Day reduced August total and comparable sales growth by slightly less than 75 basis points. Underlying performance remained positive, but investors may look for confirmation in the next report.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco Next was abruptly discontinued. The company shut down the online Costco Next marketplace without notice. While the service is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results, the move could disappoint members and remove a customer-engagement perk. Costco has ended this online service without notice
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory uncertainty increased. The U.S. Department of Justice expanded an investigation into rising beef prices to include Costco and other major retailers. Potential reputational, legal, or margin-related consequences create an overhang, although no wrongdoing has been established. DOJ expands beef price investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 47 times earnings, with a PEG ratio above 4, and shares remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Insider activity has also consisted of sales rather than purchases in recent months, adding to investor caution.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $928.48 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $944.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $978.84. The company has a market cap of $411.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.70, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. 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 report on Tuesday, May 19th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Roth Capital boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

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.