Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Purchases 6,054 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 143,184 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 6,054 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $123,473,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Platform Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $17,973,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. Crescent Grove Advisors LLC now owns 932 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $804,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC now owns 388 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,353 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,892,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Roth Mkm lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

COST stock opened at $972.59 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $431.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,006.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $963.93. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.72%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s May sales came in strong, with revenue up 14.5% year over year and robust comparable-sales growth, reinforcing the company’s momentum in membership-driven retail demand. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on COST, with TD Cowen, UBS, William Blair, and DA Davidson maintaining bullish or supportive ratings and price targets that imply upside from current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding higher-margin and traffic-driving initiatives, including exclusive products like Ghost beverages, stronger wellness/self-care sales, and faster same-day delivery and online engagement. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s gasoline strategy is also boosting store visits, as record fuel volumes and lower-priced gas continue to draw members into warehouses and support overall traffic. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

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.