NWM Advisors LLC Takes Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

NWM Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 529 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $456,000. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.4% of NWM Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during 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 during the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC lifted 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 valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC lifted 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 valued at $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cascade Investment Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cascade Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,151 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,065,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was 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 insiders.

Key Stories 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 Trading Down 0.3%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $447.55 billion, a PE ratio of 52.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $998.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $951.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given 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 is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective 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. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Gordon Haskett upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.03.

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.