Kozak & Associates Inc. Decreases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Kozak & Associates Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,058 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,650 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.1% of Kozak & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Kozak & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,074,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. World Investment Advisors raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $9,300,000. Finally, Oak Ridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 22,117 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $19,072,000 after buying an additional 1,496 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $954.08 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market cap of $423.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.99, a PEG ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $953.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $982.47.

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 business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.28 EPS. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: High renewal rates reinforce Costco’s recurring-revenue model. The company’s U.S.-Canada renewal rate reached 92.2%, while executive memberships and digital customer retention continued to grow. The trends suggest Costco is maintaining strong customer loyalty despite changes in its membership mix. Costco’s Renewal Trends Point to Lasting Customer Loyalty
• Positive Sentiment: Membership initiatives appear to be addressing customer concerns. Analysts cited Costco’s value proposition, membership growth and retention as key strengths, supporting the long-term outlook for membership-fee income and customer traffic. Costco’s changes fix members’ biggest problems
• Positive Sentiment: Demographic expansion could support future membership growth. Interest from Gen Z consumers suggests Costco may be attracting younger households, potentially extending its customer base and supporting long-term renewal trends. Your Gen Z grandkid wants a Costco membership
• Neutral Sentiment: A market article included Costco among cash-generating companies worth researching, but cautioned that strong cash flow alone does not guarantee successful reinvestment or growth. 2 Cash-Producing Stocks to Research Further and 1 We Avoid
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports highlighting a popular frozen food item and broader market strength may support brand engagement and general sentiment, but they are unlikely to materially affect Costco’s earnings outlook. One of Costco’s best frozen items is secretly a delicious Raising Cane’s dupe
• Negative Sentiment: Costco agreed to a $14 million settlement related to allegedly misleading urgency-based emails. The financial charge is modest relative to Costco’s size, but the matter creates compliance and reputational risk. Costco’s $14M settlement over fake urgency emails
• Negative Sentiment: Optimistic forecasts that Costco could eventually reach a $1 trillion valuation underscore its growth potential, but also highlight investor concerns about the stock’s already elevated valuation and limited room for execution mistakes. Prediction: Costco Will Become a Trillion Dollar Company on This Date

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,059.07.

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.