Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Midwest Professional Planners LTD.

Midwest Professional Planners LTD. lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,304 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 597 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.3% of Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,436,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Brown Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Brown Wealth Management LLC now owns 325 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. now owns 39,953 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $34,454,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the period. Northbridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $1,413,000. Finally, First Business Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,208 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,629,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,049.27.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, marking 22 straight years of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash generation. This helped push shares to new highs. Where Will Costco Stock Be In 2028?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive ahead of the company’s May 28 earnings report, with Oppenheimer lifting its price target to $1,160 after strong April sales and the dividend hike. Costco (COST) Stock Gains as Analysts Raise Price Targets Before Quarterly Report
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales reinforced its defensive appeal, with 11.6% comparable sales growth and 18.8% digital sales growth as value-focused shoppers kept buying in bulk. Costco’s April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
• Positive Sentiment: New food-court items, including chicken strips, are generating customer buzz and social media attention that may support traffic and membership loyalty. Forget chicken fingers, Costco quietly adds new food court item
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss whether Costco should split its stock now that shares are above $1,000, but management has not announced any split. Costco’s Stock Keeps Breaking the $1,000 Threshold — Don’t Expect a Stock Split

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,004.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $957.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The company has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a PE ratio of 56.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 last year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given 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 dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.