Trajan Wealth LLC Sells 910 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Trajan Wealth LLC lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,958 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 910 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.4% of Trajan Wealth LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Trajan Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $33,595,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FORA Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Costco to $1,275 from $1,205 and reiterated a buy rating, reinforcing the view that the stock still has upside after its strong rally. Benzinga: Costco Wholesale had its price target raised by UBS Group AG from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00
• Positive Sentiment: Higher gas prices may be driving more traffic to Costco’s warehouse clubs as shoppers seek discounted fuel, which could support membership visits and sales. Benzinga: Higher Gas Prices Have Consumers Visiting Costco, Sam’s Club More
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain upbeat ahead of Q3, with UBS and other commentators saying Costco should post another strong update despite macro pressures, helped by stable renewal rates and resilient demand. Yahoo Finance: Costco Expected to Deliver Strong Q3 Results Despite Macro Pressures, UBS Says

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,192.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,074.01 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,006.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $958.67. The company has a market capitalization of $476.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

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.