Ethic Inc. Has $14.92 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Ethic Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 17,299 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,610 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,918,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the third quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the third quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $916,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Optima Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the third quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,104,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the third quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,399 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,295,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cascade Investment Group Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cascade Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,151 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,065,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value 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 $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $447.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $998.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $951.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Company 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.