Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Boosted by Maryland State Retirement & Pension System

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,168 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,263 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $24,732,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,749,362 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after purchasing an additional 283,360 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $2,362,188,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Latest Costco Wholesale News

Here’s some of the latest news about COST:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a $30-per-share special cash dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion, payable December 4 to shareholders of record November 24. The payout signals strong cash generation and may support investor demand, though it is a one-time distribution. Costco dividend and repurchase announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts view Costco’s membership-based, value-focused business as relatively defensive amid uncertainty, which may appeal to investors seeking resilience. Costco as a defensive investment
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a counterweight: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco from Buy to Hold, citing the stock’s valuation. Other commentary also warns that the premium price leaves limited room for disappointment, so the special dividend alone may not justify buying at current levels. Freedom Broker downgrade

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.0%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,087.61 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $481.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.85. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $960.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $973.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,143.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. HSBC upgraded Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus 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.