Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Schroder Investment Management Group

Schroder Investment Management Group cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 461,577 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 60,498 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $423,206,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.10 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $443.03 billion, a PE ratio of 51.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $961.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $935.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted a Q2 earnings beat (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55 est.) and raised sales, reinforcing the company’s resilient sales and margins — this helped lift sentiment. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Up 1.6% After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson (and other brokers) lifted several price targets — the largest raise reported pushes the target to $1,315, signaling bullish long-term estimates from at least one shop. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $1,315.00
• Positive Sentiment: Additional analyst target increases ($1,125 / $1,100 / $1,060 / $977 reported) add to bullish bias from some firms, supporting upside expectations. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $1,125.00
• Positive Sentiment: Management said potential tariff refunds from a federal trade court ruling would likely be passed to members via lower prices — this could reinforce Costco’s value proposition and membership retention. Costco Tariff Refunds Could Reinforce Low Prices And Membership Value
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: Port St. Lucie is moving closer to landing a Costco store — continued steady store growth underpins long-term sales runway. Port St. Lucie moves closer to landing a Costco retail store
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating (limits immediate upside despite higher targets from other houses). Costco Wholesale’s (COST) Neutral Rating Reiterated at DA Davidson
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi maintained a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target — a sign some large brokers see limited near-term multiple expansion. Citi Maintains Neutral Rating on Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) with $1000 Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion around a potential stock split and new residential/warehouse concepts are being debated by commentators — interesting for liquidity/strategy but not immediate catalysts. Costco’s $1,000 Price Tag Makes A Stock Split Hard To Ignore
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut its price target to $1,088, signaling some analyst skepticism on upside from current levels. The Goldman Sachs Group Cuts Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target to $1,088.00
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: BJ’s and other warehouse rivals are stepping up strategies to lure shoppers, which could pressure market share or margins in certain regions. BJ’s Wholesale makes bold move to lure more shoppers

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Bank of America assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price for the company. HSBC decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,035.35.

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.