Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Sells 1,745 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,271 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,745 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.8% of Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $37,317,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FORA Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,098,000 after buying an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors grew its position 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 valued at $15,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,047.27.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen’s bullish take after a headquarters visit suggested Costco still has room to grow, while noting the company’s biggest risk is complacency rather than weakening demand. ‘Costco’s (COST) Biggest Risk Is Being Complacent,’ Analyst Says After HQ Visit
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales strength and accelerating e-commerce business were highlighted as evidence that momentum remains solid, which could support revenue expectations going forward. Should Investors Buy Costco Stock Now After Strong April Retail Sales?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco acquired a 55-acre site in Fort Myers, a move that signals continued physical expansion and long-term growth potential. Costco Acquires 55-Acre Site in Fort Myers, Marking One of Southwest Florida’s Largest and Highest-Value Land Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market commentaries compared Costco with Walmart and other retailers, but the main takeaway was that Costco still looks like a quality operator even as valuation remains rich. Walmart vs Costco Wholesale: Which Retail Stock Is the Better Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about a redesigned gas station in California and a new Costco-linked retail purchase order for GEN Korean BBQ point to Costco’s broad ecosystem, but they are unlikely to move the stock on their own. California Costco plans to demolish its gas station — and reveals plans for brand new facility GEN Korean BBQ Secures Its First Direct Southern California and Hawaii Regional Costco Purchase Order
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles focused on Costco’s elevated valuation and suggested investors may want to wait or even trim positions, reflecting concern that expectations are already high. Is It Time to Sell Costco Stock? Costco At $1,000: Buy, Sell or Hold?

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,033.08 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $458.33 billion, a PE ratio of 53.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $999.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $953.63. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

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.