Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock: Insider Sarah Catherine George Sells 756 Shares

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,096.01, for a total transaction of $828,583.56. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,112 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,410,783.12. The trade was a 19.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

Costco Wholesale stock traded up $14.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,106.21. The company had a trading volume of 1,867,706 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,209,850. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market cap of $490.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.29, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $963.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $974.45. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,109.50.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a $30.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of COST. Sarasin & Partners LLP raised its stake in 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. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $16,013,000. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the second quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $148,193,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 97.0% in the third quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 3,531 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,214,000 after buying an additional 1,739 shares during the period. Finally, Hyperion Asset Management Ltd boosted its position 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 worth $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Latest Costco Wholesale News

Investors following COST have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a $30-per-share special dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion and payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24, alongside a new $4 billion share-repurchase authorization through 2030. The large cash return has helped lift investor sentiment and reflects strong cash generation. Article: Did Record Special Dividend Just Shift Costco Wholesale’s Investment Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say sales are accelerating, and investors have also sought defensive stocks amid uncertainty around AI-sector shares—supportive factors as Costco approaches its next results. Article: Costco’s Record $30 Dividend Shows Just How Strong Its Cash Machine Is
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s quarterly results are due after the market close on December 10. Investors will look for operating performance to validate the upbeat outlook and recent share strength. Article: Costco Hits All-Time High Amid $4 Billion Buyback, Special Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on COST shares. CICC Research began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price objective on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,143.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Freedom Broker downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $1,010.00 to $1,050.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,092.23.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.