New Republic Capital LLC Increases Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

New Republic Capital LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 308.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,273 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,471 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.7% of New Republic Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. New Republic Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,062,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after buying an additional 27,625 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% in the second quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $200,372,000 after buying an additional 13,795 shares in the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $9,300,000. Finally, Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $5,813,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,120.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: New Medicare Advantage offering could expand Costco’s membership value proposition. Costco is partnering with nonprofit SCAN Health Plan to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage and supplemental plans, initially in two states pending regulatory approval. The broader rollout could include pharmacy, vision, hearing and over-the-counter benefits, potentially strengthening member retention and creating an additional revenue stream. Costco’s Next Big Bulk Item: Medicare Advantage
• Positive Sentiment: Growing cash reserves may support another special dividend. Commentary suggests Costco’s accumulating cash could lead to a substantial shareholder payout this fall. While no dividend has been announced, the possibility may provide support for the stock and reinforce Costco’s shareholder-return appeal. Costco’s Cash Pile Keeps Building
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s merchandising strategy continues to drive member engagement. The company’s practice of rotating or discontinuing popular products can frustrate shoppers, but limited availability and surprise product returns may encourage more frequent warehouse visits and support the treasure-hunt shopping experience. Costco keeps discontinuing popular products
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves limited room for execution missteps. COST trades at roughly 48 times earnings, with a PEG ratio above 4, and analysts have questioned whether its strong multiyear performance is already reflected in the share price. The company’s latest quarterly EPS slightly missed consensus, although revenue exceeded expectations, adding to investor focus on earnings growth. Costco Stock Looks Fully Priced

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of COST opened at $956.99 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $948.67 and its 200 day moving average is $981.23. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $424.41 billion, a PE ratio of 48.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

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). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Costco Wholesale 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.