WT Wealth Management Grows Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WT Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 34.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,623 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 919 shares during the quarter. WT Wealth Management’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,124,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,012.79 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $449.32 billion, a PE ratio of 52.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.92. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $996.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $950.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.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 prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,045.97.

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.