Whittier Trust Co. Acquires 782 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Whittier Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 64,616 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 782 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $57,450,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $987.21 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $437.98 billion, a PE ratio of 51.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.99. 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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $995.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $944.13. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued 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 a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Gordon Haskett lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,044.30.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 13% quarterly dividend hike to $1.47 (payable May 15), signaling strong free cash flow and a continued shareholder-return focus. Costco Announces Dividend Increase
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support added momentum: Mizuho raised its price target to $1,100 and maintained an Outperform rating, providing incremental buy-side conviction. Mizuho Adjusts Price Target on Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Other firms (Telsey, Wells Fargo) also nudged targets higher and praised steady execution, reinforcing the bullish analyst narrative. Telsey and Wells Fargo Raise Costco Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Fuel sales remain a bright spot: channel checks show strong gasoline volume at Costco, which helps store traffic and gross profit despite swings in pump margins. Costco Is Selling a Lot of Gas, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Operational improvements: trials of automated/pre-scan pay stations and investments to speed checkout aim to reduce friction and could lift throughput and customer experience. Costco Tests New Pre-Scan Pay Station
• Neutral Sentiment: Company updates: March net sales ($28.41B) and YTD sales ($173.26B) were reported alongside exclusive product rollouts (e.g., Aussie Miracle Curls) and automation pilots — supportive for long-term SSS but mixed near-term impact. The Bull Case For Costco Could Change Following Dividend Hike And March Sales Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry note: grocers are adopting AI for dynamic perishables pricing and waste reduction — a secular tailwind for retailers that Costco could leverage, but adoption and impact timelines are uncertain. Some Grocers Are Using AI to Cut Food Waste
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/traffic risk: elevated gasoline prices and tighter consumer mobility are a watch item — analysts say sustained high pump prices could reduce in-store trips and cap comps. Costco Raises Its Dividend 13%. What Matters More for the Stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Local competition: Sam’s Club and BJ’s are gaining traction in some markets, which could pressure market share or require promotional investment in certain regions. Sam’s Club, BJs Gain Traction in Area Costco Dominates

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.