OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd Buys New Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 11,059 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $10,342,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. World Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 214,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $200,372,000 after purchasing an additional 13,795 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $9,300,000. Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd as trustee for Retail Employees Superannuation Trust purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,813,000. Finally, Hyperion Asset Management Ltd lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hyperion Asset Management Ltd now owns 68,762 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $64,325,000 after buying an additional 5,656 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on 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. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Roth Capital lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research 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.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of COST stock opened at $943.89 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $945.65 and a 200 day moving average of $979.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.60 billion, a PE ratio of 47.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.87.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s international business is becoming a more important growth engine. Solid comparable sales, expansion opportunities in Asia and Europe, and additional warehouse “white space” could support longer-term revenue growth and diversify the company beyond the mature U.S. market. Can International Markets Become Costco’s Biggest Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: A large new Southern California warehouse is nearing completion and has an opening date, adding local capacity and potentially attracting new members. The near-term financial effect is likely modest, but the opening reinforces Costco’s ongoing store-expansion strategy. Costco’s New California Location Nears Completion
• Positive Sentiment: A discussion of the late investor Charlie Munger’s concentrated ownership of Costco highlights the company’s longstanding reputation for a durable business model, customer loyalty and high-quality management. However, the commentary is historical rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Charlie Munger’s Costco Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine coverage of Costco’s Labor Day hours and fact-checking of shopping rumors has little direct relevance to earnings or the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s launch of a new rotisserie-chicken offering increases competition in a popular Costco category, but the article focuses primarily on Walmart and does not indicate a material change to Costco’s outlook. Walmart Challenges Costco With Rotisserie Chicken
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyses argue that Costco’s valuation is the main risk. Despite strong operations, a price near 46–48 times earnings could limit future returns and make the stock vulnerable if growth slows or results merely meet expectations. Is Costco Stock an Obvious Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Target is presented as the more attractive discount-retail investment because of improving momentum and a substantially lower valuation, potentially diverting investor interest from COST. Costco vs. Target

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% 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 hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.