MJP Associates Inc. ADV Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

MJP Associates Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 2,056 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,923,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,120.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective on the stock. Twenty-two equities 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
• Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’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 sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market cap of $418.60 billion, a PE ratio of 47.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $945.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $979.60. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

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.