Trillium Asset Management LLC Takes $43.49 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Trillium Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 46,491 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $43,494,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.3% of Trillium Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $200,372,000 after purchasing an additional 13,795 shares during the period. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $9,300,000. Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $5,813,000. Finally, Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the second quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

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

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST stock opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $945.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $979.60. The stock has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. 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 Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued 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 currently 29.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
• Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective on the stock. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Roth Capital upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued 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 target price 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.