Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Hyperion Asset Management Ltd

Hyperion Asset Management Ltd grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,656 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.7% of Hyperion Asset Management Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $64,325,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. World Investment Advisors increased 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 worth $15,835,000 after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $19,072,000 after acquiring an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Roth Capital lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Twenty-two equities 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: July sales remained very strong. Costco reported July net sales of $23.12 billion, up 10.7% year over year. Comparable sales increased 8.9% globally and 10.3% in the U.S., while digital sales and membership activity remained healthy. The results suggest Costco continues to attract value-conscious consumers and could support earnings expectations. Costco Delivered Another Strong Sales Print in July
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues. Planned warehouses, including a possible additional North Texas location and a Kent-area project expected to create about 250 jobs, point to continued investment in Costco’s store footprint. The initiatives are a modest long-term growth positive, although they are unlikely to materially affect near-term results. Costco May Add Another Store in North Texas
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings expectations are the next major catalyst. Retail-sector coverage describes COST as consolidating ahead of earnings. Investors will focus on comparable sales, membership trends, margins and whether July’s growth can continue through the remainder of the year. Reported short interest of zero shares appears inconsistent with normal market data and provides no meaningful trading signal. Retail Stocks Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is limiting upside. Analysts acknowledge Costco’s resilient demand, membership strength and high-quality business model, but question whether its premium valuation already discounts much of the good news. With a trailing P/E near 47.5, even solid results may not be enough if growth slows or management guidance disappoints. Are Costco’s July Sales Solid Enough to Justify Its Premium Valuation?

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.9%

COST stock opened at $944.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $418.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.50, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $950.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $981.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.28 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.