SFE Investment Counsel Has $9.66 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

SFE Investment Counsel boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,200 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 633 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.5% of SFE Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,659,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $2,781,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in 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 during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in 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 during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.1%

COST stock opened at $1,033.08 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $458.33 billion, a PE ratio of 53.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.92. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $999.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $953.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen’s bullish take after a headquarters visit suggested Costco still has room to grow, while noting the company’s biggest risk is complacency rather than weakening demand. ‘Costco’s (COST) Biggest Risk Is Being Complacent,’ Analyst Says After HQ Visit
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales strength and accelerating e-commerce business were highlighted as evidence that momentum remains solid, which could support revenue expectations going forward. Should Investors Buy Costco Stock Now After Strong April Retail Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco acquired a 55-acre site in Fort Myers, a move that signals continued physical expansion and long-term growth potential. Costco Acquires 55-Acre Site in Fort Myers, Marking One of Southwest Florida’s Largest and Highest-Value Land Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market commentaries compared Costco with Walmart and other retailers, but the main takeaway was that Costco still looks like a quality operator even as valuation remains rich. Walmart vs Costco Wholesale: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about a redesigned gas station in California and a new Costco-linked retail purchase order for GEN Korean BBQ point to Costco’s broad ecosystem, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. California Costco plans to demolish its gas station — and reveals plans for brand new facility GEN Korean BBQ Secures Its First Direct Southern California and Hawaii Regional Costco Purchase Order
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles focused on Costco’s elevated valuation and suggested investors may want to wait or even trim positions, reflecting concern that expectations are already high. Is It Time to Sell Costco Stock? Costco At $1,000: Buy, Sell or Hold?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Roth Mkm reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,047.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.