Vestor Capital LLC Buys 2,864 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Vestor Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 443.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 3,510 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,864 shares during the quarter. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,195,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% during the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $32,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,090.55.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,066.18 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $472.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.85. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $954.83 and a 200-day moving average of $972.91.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s digital sales rose 22.5% in October, outpacing store comparable sales. Delivery partnerships, personalization and stronger online engagement are helping the company capture changing shopping habits, which could support sales growth. Costco’s Digital Sales Outpace Store Comps as Shopping Evolves
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco closed a California warehouse after 37 years and opened a replacement location about a mile away. The new site is 152,000 square feet; this appears to be a relocation rather than a meaningful reduction in the company’s local presence. Costco closes popular California store location after 37 years
• Neutral Sentiment: An article about Costco’s new Medicare Advantage plan highlights a potential consumer trade-off: a member who later wants Medigap coverage may face health questions or be denied after a 12-month trial right ends. The report focuses on enrollment considerations and does not quantify a financial effect for Costco. Medicare Advantage plan and Medigap considerations

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line.

The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.

Founded in 1983 in Seattle, Costco has expanded across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.