1,046 Shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Purchased by Houlihan Financial Resource Group Ltd.

Key Points

• Houlihan Financial Resource Group Ltd. opened a new position in Costco, buying 1,046 shares valued at about $912,000 in the fourth quarter.
• Costco’s latest earnings were mixed: revenue beat expectations at $70.53 billion, but EPS missed slightly at $4.93 versus the $4.98 consensus.
• The company also raised its dividend to $1.47 per quarter from $1.30, while analysts remain broadly constructive with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,051.18.

Houlihan Financial Resource Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,046 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $912,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $995.20 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 firm has a market capitalization of $441.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.75, a PEG ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50-day moving average is $1,008.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $962.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.98 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $69.68 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company 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 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COST. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,051.18.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported stronger-than-expected sales, including U.S. same-store sales growth of 9.8% and adjusted comparable sales up 6.6%, showing that demand remains resilient even in a pressured consumer environment.
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue came in above Wall Street expectations, with $70.53 billion in quarterly sales versus estimates of $69.68 billion, reinforcing the company’s ability to keep growing at scale.
• Positive Sentiment: Membership and gas-related traffic appear to be supporting results, with higher fuel prices bringing more shoppers into warehouses and boosting basket sizes and same-store sales.
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 was slightly below the consensus estimate of $4.98, making the report mixed rather than uniformly strong, even though profits still improved year over year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several pre-earnings articles framed Costco as a high-quality defensive retailer with a premium valuation, suggesting investors may continue to focus on whether the stock can justify its elevated multiple.
• Negative Sentiment: The small earnings miss could temper enthusiasm in the near term, especially given the stock’s recent run-up and the market’s high expectations heading into the print.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business'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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is 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.

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