Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Trillium Asset Management LLC

Trillium Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,980 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,489 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.4% of Trillium Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $44,591,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. State Street Corp boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,291,669 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,996,538,000 after buying an additional 38,629 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,870,314,000 after buying an additional 160,893 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,828,881,000 after acquiring an additional 283,360 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Tigress Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Freedom Broker downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $1,010.00 to $1,050.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. One 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 given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,092.23.

Latest Costco Wholesale News

Investors following COST have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco declared a one-time $30-per-share special dividend, totaling about $13.3 billion and payable December 4, and authorized a new $4 billion share repurchase program. The capital returns are supporting investor demand and underscore the company’s cash-generation strength. Article: Costco’s Record $30 Dividend Shows Just How Strong Its Cash Machine Is
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s recent sales growth and strong membership-focused business have helped fuel optimism ahead of its next quarterly results, scheduled for December 10. Article: Costco Hits All-Time High Amid $4 Billion Buyback, Special Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary cautions that Costco’s valuation is elevated, potentially limiting upside if growth or results fall short of high expectations. Article: Does Costco’s Special Dividend Offer Enough Reason to Buy the Stock?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total value of $975,555.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,176,347.10. This trade represents a 13.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sarah Catherine George sold 756 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,096.01, for a total value of $828,583.56. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,112 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,410,783.12. This trade represents a 19.54% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,956 shares of company stock worth $4,873,216. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST traded up $14.00 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,106.21. 1,873,135 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,385,142. The stock has a market capitalization of $490.19 billion, a PE ratio of 53.29, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50 day moving average is $967.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $975.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,109.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $30.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

About Costco Wholesale

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.