Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. Acquires 148,350 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2,432.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 154,450 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 148,350 shares during the quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $153,899,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: William Blair highlighted Costco as one of the consumer names best positioned to handle inflation and uneven spending, reinforcing the company’s defensive appeal in a cautious consumer environment. Casey’s, Costco, and Other Consumer Stocks for Uncertain Times
• Positive Sentiment: RBC initiated coverage with a $1,000 price target and a “sector perform” rating, calling Costco one of retail’s best stories and suggesting meaningful upside from current levels. Costco Wholesale is now covered by Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles noted that Costco continues to win market share thanks to its unique membership-and-volume model, while also benefiting from resilient sales and digital growth. Costco Wholesale to Sustain Market Share Gains on ‘Unique’ Model, RBC Capital Markets Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer reiterated his support for Costco, but this was more of a sentiment boost than a fresh business catalyst. Jim Cramer Unsurprisingly Sticks With Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s first standalone gas station and broader brand/media coverage may help reinforce the company’s low-price image, but the direct stock impact is likely limited. Costco opens first standalone gas station
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing scrutiny over a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging its protein powder contained undisclosed heavy metals, which could pressure investor sentiment around product quality and trust. Costco (COST) Faces Protein Powder Heavy Metals Lawsuit And A Test Of Trust
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage emphasized that Costco’s premium valuation remains a concern, especially as June sales showed strong demand but slower comparable sales growth. Are Costco’s June Sales Enough to Defend Its Rich Valuation?

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $921.75 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $980.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $976.98. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $408.78 billion, a PE ratio of 46.37, a P/E/G ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the company posted $4.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.