AE Wealth Management LLC Purchases 32,542 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 77.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 74,670 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 32,542 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $64,392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer's stock worth $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $2,781,000. Finally, Curtis Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,911,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $999.89 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50-day moving average of $995.74 and a 200 day moving average of $944.71. The firm has a market cap of $443.60 billion, a PE ratio of 52.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 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.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during 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%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. 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 on the stock in a report on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, 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. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (payable May 15; record May 1), a sign of strong cash flow and management confidence that lifted investor sentiment. Costco Raises Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Major banks bumped price targets — JPMorgan raised its PT to $1,110 and Mizuho to $1,100 while keeping bullish ratings, signaling analyst conviction in upside vs. current levels. JPMorgan Adjusts PT Mizuho Adjusts PT
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and sales momentum: Costco reported strong March net sales and recent quarterly results that beat expectations, reinforcing growth and margin resilience. Analysts cite that momentum as part of the bull case alongside the dividend move. Bull Case for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Product exclusives and in-warehouse surprises — Costco continues to roll out exclusive large-format items and even popular fast-food products that drive foot traffic and impulse buys. These merchandising wins help differentiate membership value. Costco Adds Fast-Food Product Exclusive Aussie Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Checkout and store tech improvements (automated pay stations, AI pricing/markdowns) aim to speed throughput and reduce perishables waste; these are positive long-term but will take time to scale. Automated Pay Stations Grocers Use AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Sam’s Club and BJ’s are making localized gains and Sam’s Club fee moves could reshape pricing among warehouse clubs; this could benefit Costco if it retains perceived value, but it’s an evolving factor. Competitors Gaining Traction Sam's Club Fees
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel sales are elevated (adds revenue/traffic), but analysts warn there’s a caveat around margins and sensitivity to gas price swings; persistent high fuel/traffic volatility could dampen same-store trends. Gas Sales Catch

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.

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