Franklin Resources Inc. Increases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 845,711 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,749 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $729,290,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 655 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $606,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the third quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,906,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Bank & Trust Co lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, LongView Wealth Management boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. LongView Wealth Management now owns 1,025 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $966,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two research 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $974.75 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,006.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $964.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.03, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco lowered prices on several Kirkland Signature/private-label items, including food, home goods, and sports equipment, signaling a continued focus on member value and traffic retention. Costco lowers prices on four private-label products across food, home goods and sports equipment aisles
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Costco is cutting prices on popular Kirkland items, which could strengthen its value image versus competitors and help keep members shopping more often. Why Costco Just Voluntarily Lowered Prices on These Popular Kirkland Items
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital business showed strong momentum, with digital comps up sharply and app traffic rising, suggesting a bigger opportunity for online sales and personalization-driven growth. Costco’s Lowered Prices Show Why Shoppers Keep Returning
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Costco’s digital surge as a sign the retailer may be becoming an even stronger omnichannel winner. Costco Leans On Kirkland Price Cuts To Support Growth Narrative
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and shopping guides featured Costco products for summer and Fourth of July hosting, which adds visibility but is unlikely to materially move the stock. 9 Costco finds to host the best Fourth of July BBQ ever
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary about CEO Ron Vachris’s rise from the warehouse floor is largely narrative-driven and does not appear to change the near-term outlook. Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from the warehouse floor to the corner office without a college degree—and he says it’s thanks to not job hopping
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted Costco’s stock has been falling in recent weeks and is still below recent highs, reflecting some investor caution despite the operational positives. Should You Buy Costco Wholesale Stock While It’s Below $1,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader consumer commentary about $4 gas and inflation pressure could weigh on discretionary spending and keep investors cautious about margins and demand trends. Consumers look resilient on the surface, but $4 gas was a tipping point and Costco members are filling up more often in case prices go even higher

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.