Sageworth Trust Co Sells 2,230 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Sageworth Trust Co lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 83.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 437 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,230 shares during the period. Sageworth Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $995.75 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $997.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $950.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $441.77 billion, a PE ratio of 51.78, a PEG ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on COST. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: April sales beat expectations — Costco reported April net sales of $23.92 billion, up 13.0% year?over?year, and net sales for the first 35 weeks rose 9.5% to $197.18 billion; U.S. comparable sales were +11.7% for the 4?week period, supporting revenue momentum. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices are a tailwind — multiple reports note rising U.S. pump prices have lifted fuel sales and basket sizes at Costco, a meaningful near?term boost to top?line results. Costco reports strong sales for April as higher gas prices provide a lift
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing expansion and fuel footprint — local development (new Milwaukee County warehouse) and recent gas station openings expand capacity and capture fuel margins and traffic. Construction starts soon on Costco’s first Milwaukee County store after land deal Costco opens Camarillo gas station ahead of warehouse construction
• Neutral Sentiment: Prepared remarks/transcript available — the company’s period?ending/trading statement prepared remarks were posted; they summarize results but did not (in reports) include major guidance changes that would materially alter the outlook. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Period Ending/ Trading Statement Call Prepared Remarks Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor merchandising and menu updates — product launches and a change to the hot?dog combo may help customer experience and traffic but are unlikely to move near?term results materially. The Best New Costco Groceries Hitting Shelves This Month Costco just changed its famous $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what’s new
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slid amid a broader market rally — despite the sales beat and gas tailwind, investors sold into strength; the move looks like profit?taking/rotation after COST’s strong YTD performance. Costco (COST) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and industry caution — COST’s valuation is elevated (P/E ~52, PEG ~5) and Moody’s warns of a challenging retail backdrop; stretched multiples and any slowdown in discretionary spending could pressure the stock. Walmart, Costco poised to win amid unfavorable retail environment

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.