Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Midwest Trust Co

Midwest Trust Co grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 76,463 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,273 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.8% of Midwest Trust Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Midwest Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $65,937,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research 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. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Gordon Haskett upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two investment 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,046.03.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. 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 50 day simple moving average of $998.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $951.50. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $447.55 billion, a PE ratio of 52.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale 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.