Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Lowered by Independent Advisor Alliance

Independent Advisor Alliance reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,056 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 6,173 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.5% of Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $22,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $37,615,889,000 after acquiring an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,911,331,000 after acquiring an additional 34,826 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,499,246,000 after acquiring an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,120,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,259 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,021.88 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. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $998.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $952.99. The firm has a market cap of $453.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.14, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,192.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,047.27.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted strong April sales trends, with reports citing 11.6% comparable sales growth, 13% net sales growth, and an 18.8% rise in digitally enabled comps, reinforcing confidence in the company’s membership-driven model and e-commerce expansion.
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen issued a bullish view after visiting Costco’s headquarters, suggesting the retailer still has room to grow and that the stock’s recent strength may be supported by fundamentals rather than just market momentum. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces pointed to Costco as a defensive, high-quality retailer with durable demand and strong customer loyalty, which may be attracting investors looking for stability amid broader consumer uncertainty.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage framed Costco as a “hold” or questioned whether the stock’s valuation is already rich, implying that much of the good news may already be priced in. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles discussed long-term growth themes such as digital perks, food court changes, and broader consumer-staples positioning, but these were more informational than immediate stock catalysts.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern, with multiple articles noting that Costco trades at a premium and may warrant patience if growth slows or margins come under pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary suggested Costco has underperformed the broader market over the past year, which could temper enthusiasm despite its strong operating performance. Article Title

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

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.