Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $1,776,913.29 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Javier Polit also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, December 30th, Javier Polit sold 558 shares of Costco Wholesale stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

COST stock traded down $3.31 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $862.34. 1,482,790 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,331,060. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $899.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $936.84. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The company has a market cap of $382.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.19, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 31st were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $950.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 29th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $992.08.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Wealth Services lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

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.