Invesco Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,328,729 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 143,150 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.6% of Invesco Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Invesco Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,732,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after acquiring an additional 26,690 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two 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 MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of COST opened at $951.45 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,001.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $969.14. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $421.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.86, a PEG ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 0.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco continues to show strong underlying demand, with May sales growth, high membership renewal rates, and faster-growing digital/e-commerce channels supporting the long-term growth story. How Investors May Respond To Costco (COST) Digital Momentum Amid Valuation Jitters And Macro Uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Costco lowered prices on some Kirkland Signature items, reinforcing its value proposition for inflation-conscious shoppers and potentially helping traffic and member loyalty. Why Weakness in Dividend-Paying Costco Stock Is a Strong Buying Opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: A new Costco gas station was approved in a Bay Area city, adding another potential traffic driver and incremental fuel-related sales opportunity. This Bay Area city approves new Costco gas station
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $1,020 price target, which is above the recent trading level but does not signal a strong near-term catalyst. Benzinga coverage of Citigroup initiation
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary is divided, with one report noting that Costco shares fell after Citi and Bernstein issued conflicting views, adding to uncertainty around the stock’s premium valuation. Costco Stock (COST) Drops as Analysts Can’t Agree on the Big-Box Retailer
• Negative Sentiment: Several recent articles focus on whether Costco’s stock is too expensive near the $1,000 level, reflecting valuation jitters that can pressure shares when growth expectations are already high. Costco at $1,000: A Timeless Business, Is the Stock Still a Buy or a Bubble?

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.