Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. Acquires 20,641 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 37.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 75,686 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,641 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.1% of Harvest Portfolios Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Harvest Portfolios Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $65,267,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,004.71 and a 200 day moving average of $957.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Key Headlines 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

In other Costco Wholesale news, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on COST. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company 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 research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,049.27.

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.