Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock: United Capital Management of KS Inc. Raises Position

United Capital Management of KS Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.0% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 14,849 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 567 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.8% of United Capital Management of KS Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. United Capital Management of KS Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,518,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Montis Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.4% during the third quarter. Montis Financial LLC now owns 351 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% during the third quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc now owns 43,235 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,359,000 after acquiring an additional 2,942 shares during the last quarter. Texas Bank & Trust Co boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the third quarter. Texas Bank & Trust Co now owns 1,955 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,780,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.1% during the third quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC now owns 404 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $368,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 443.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 3,510 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,195,000 after acquiring an additional 2,864 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital sales rose 22.5% in October, outpacing store comparable sales. Delivery partnerships, personalization and stronger online engagement are helping the company capture changing shopping habits, which could support sales growth. Costco’s Digital Sales Outpace Store Comps as Shopping Evolves
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco closed a California warehouse after 37 years and opened a replacement location about a mile away. The new site is 152,000 square feet; this appears to be a relocation rather than a meaningful reduction in the company’s local presence. Costco closes popular California store location after 37 years
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about Costco’s new Medicare Advantage plan highlights a potential consumer trade-off: a member who later wants Medigap coverage may face health questions or be denied after a 12-month trial right ends. The report focuses on enrollment considerations and does not quantify a financial effect for Costco. Medicare Advantage plan and Medigap considerations

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This trade represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,066.18 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.36, a PEG ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $954.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $972.91.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. CICC Research started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 target price for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.

The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.