Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Fulcrum Asset Management LLP

Fulcrum Asset Management LLP reduced its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 79.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,267 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,512 shares during the quarter. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,096,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the first quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,049 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Group LTD boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the first quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 1,226 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,221,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.3% during the first quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 803 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $769,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SHUTTLEWORTH & Co boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the first quarter. SHUTTLEWORTH & Co now owns 2,442 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on COST. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, September 25th. Roth Capital reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $781.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. One equities research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,091.84.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,066.14 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.44 billion, a PE ratio of 52.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.85. 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 $957.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $973.36. 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders 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 is 28.32%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• 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 board also reauthorized a $4 billion share-repurchase program. The payout is a substantial one-time return of capital; the buyback provides ongoing flexibility to return cash and support per-share results. Costco dividend and repurchase announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital sales reportedly rose 22.5% in October, outpacing store comparable sales, while a separate report says it overtook Kroger in a grocery-market-share ranking. The growth suggests its online channels and membership model are drawing more spending, although the articles do not establish how much of that is already reflected in the stock. Costco digital sales report Costco grocery-share report
• Neutral Sentiment: Tumwater’s council approved a development agreement for a new Costco store. It may support local expansion, but the article provides no financial details to indicate a material near-term effect on company results. Tumwater Costco development agreement
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker downgraded Costco from “buy” to “hold” and set a $1,050 price target, below the referenced share price. The higher target versus its prior estimate softens the message, but the downgrade could weigh on sentiment. Freedom Broker rating information

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.