Hosking Partners LLP Sells 4,273 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Hosking Partners LLP cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 67,118 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,273 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.0% of Hosking Partners LLP’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Hosking Partners LLP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $57,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,781,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares in the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,106,319 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,024,042,000 after purchasing an additional 9,636 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,008.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $998.03 and its 200 day moving average is $951.50. The stock has a market cap of $447.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.03.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.