Van ECK Associates Corp Sells 14,416 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Van ECK Associates Corp cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 114,119 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 14,416 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $106,755,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,362,188,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco reported fourth-quarter net sales of $93.9 billion, up 11.3% year over year. Digitally enabled comparable sales increased 19.5%, suggesting e-commerce and omnichannel initiatives remain important growth drivers. Costco’s Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker raised Costco from “hold” to “buy” and established a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. However, the upgrade has not yet overcome broader selling pressure. Costco Stock Falls Despite Freedom Broker Upgrade to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Returns and liquidation operations: Reports that Costco resells some returned merchandise through liquidation and B-stock auctions provide additional context on its inventory practices. The activity appears operational rather than a major new earnings catalyst, although it may help recover value from returned goods. How Costco Resells Items Returned Under Its Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and competitive concerns: Costco’s recent underperformance has renewed debate over whether its high valuation is justified. Jim Cramer argued that the retailer may have lost some of its edge, while other commentary points to competition from discount stores. With a price-to-earnings ratio above 45, investors may be particularly sensitive to any slowdown in growth or membership appeal. Cramer Warns Costco May Have Lost Its Edge
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier bankruptcy headline: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a beverage brand’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights vendor and product-selection risks within its merchandise ecosystem. Loss of Costco Deal Helps Push Beverage Brand Into Chapter 11

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,091.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.03.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth 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 value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $910.18 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $403.65 billion, a PE ratio of 45.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $942.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $976.18. 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 business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.