Midwest Professional Planners LTD. Sells 609 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Midwest Professional Planners LTD. lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,695 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 609 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.3% of Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,674,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $916.54 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $406.47 billion, a PE ratio of 46.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.88. 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 Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $978.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $977.29.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s launch of Borealis Foods’ Chef Woo high-protein noodles is drawing strong early member demand, highlighting Costco’s ability to quickly scale trending, health-oriented products and support traffic in its warehouses. Borealis Foods Expands Access to Protein-Rich Chef Woo Noodles Through Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Another report says Costco will open seven new warehouse locations in August, reinforcing the company’s steady expansion strategy and long-term membership growth potential. Costco announces 7 new warehouse locations to open in August
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage with a $1,000 price target, signaling Wall Street still sees upside from current levels despite recent weakness. Costco Wholesale is now covered by Royal Bank Of Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces focused on Costco’s dividend, valuation, and reputation as a defensive retailer; these are supportive of the investment case, but they do not appear to be immediate stock-moving catalysts. Here’s How Many Shares of Costco Stock You’d Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles praised Costco’s resilience in uncertain consumer conditions and its success in international markets, but these were mainly background/analyst commentary rather than new fundamental developments. Casey’s, Costco, and Other Consumer Stocks for Uncertain Times
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage noted Costco’s stock has been weak recently and that investors are questioning whether the dip is a buying opportunity, which can keep sentiment cautious in the near term. Costco Stock: Buy the Dip?

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Truist Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

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.