VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Has $23.36 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,087 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,720 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,358,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,911,331,000 after acquiring an additional 34,826 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,499,246,000 after acquiring an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,120,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,259 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on COST shares. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,047.27.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,033.08 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $999.39 and a 200-day moving average of $953.63. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $458.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.72, a P/E/G ratio of 5.03 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (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 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

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.