Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD

Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 122.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 25,310 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,932 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.0% of Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,677,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $971.40 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $946.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $980.99. The stock has a market cap of $430.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 last year, the company earned $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on COST. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Bank of America upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Roth Capital upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.