Payden & Rygel Sells 10,700 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Payden & Rygel trimmed its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 92.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 900 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 10,700 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $776,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. 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 report on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,047.27.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported strong April sales, with net sales up 13.0% year over year, comparable sales rising 11.6%, and digital sales climbing 18.8%, reinforcing its reputation as a defensive retailer benefiting from value-focused consumer spending. Costco’s April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company boosted its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, a signal of confidence in cash generation that can attract income-oriented investors. Costco (COST) Surges to New 52-Week Peak Following Strong Dividend Boost
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles framed Costco as a breakout candidate after its recent rally, with commentary pointing to strong year-to-date momentum and a new 52-week high. Prediction: The Stage is Set for a Costco Stock Breakout
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is also gaining attention for product expansion and brand strength, including a test of new chicken strips in food courts and a broader rollout of mixsoon skincare products across U.S. warehouse locations. Costco is testing chicken strips in food courts and customers say they’re ginormous
• Neutral Sentiment: One article highlighted a legal issue tied to a disability discrimination verdict, which adds some headline risk but appears smaller than the company’s sales and dividend positives. How Investors Are Reacting To Costco Wholesale (COST) Double?Digit April Sales, Florida Expansion And Jury Verdict
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains constructive overall, with coverage describing Costco as resilient and well positioned, but these pieces mainly reinforce an already favorable narrative rather than introducing a new catalyst. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Costco, Coca-Cola, AstraZeneca and Franklin Financial Services

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,076.47 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,079.83. The company has a market cap of $477.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.98, a P/E/G ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,002.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $956.31.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors 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. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.58%.

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.