Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by First National Advisers LLC

First National Advisers LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 6,666 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 597 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.8% of First National Advisers LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. First National Advisers LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,748,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. HORAN Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 793 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $684,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Concentrum Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Concentrum Wealth Management now owns 1,275 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,099,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Tsai Capital Corp grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Tsai Capital Corp now owns 4,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,068,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Freedom Day Solutions LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Freedom Day Solutions LLC now owns 4,607 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,972,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Mizuho increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment 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 MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,046.03.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $999.47 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $443.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92. 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 50-day moving average of $998.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $952.44. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company 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%.Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported April comparable sales up 11.6% and net sales up 13%, with digitally enabled comps jumping 18.8%, reinforcing confidence in the company’s membership and omnichannel model. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are pointing to Costco’s e-commerce gains as a potential driver of a higher valuation, suggesting the online business could support longer-term upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is also benefiting from consumer demand for value, with higher gas prices and price-sensitive shopping helping fuel traffic and sales at warehouse clubs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: New member-value initiatives, including added food court protein options and more digital redemption of perks, may help reinforce loyalty and keep shoppers engaged with the Costco ecosystem. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Costco shares are now above the psychologically important $1,000 mark, which may invite profit-taking or renewed debate over whether the stock is stretched after its run-up. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s short-interest update appears to show no meaningful change, so it does not seem to be a major driver of the stock today. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The tariff-refund lawsuit could weigh on sentiment because it puts Costco’s member-value reputation and refund practices under legal scrutiny. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary also raises the “sell in May” question after the stock’s recent run, suggesting valuation and seasonality could cap near-term upside. Article Title

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated 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 directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.