Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd Sells 115,235 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Alphinity Investment Management cut its Costco stake by 28.2%, selling 115,235 shares and now holds 292,767 shares worth about $252.5 million (0.07% of Costco), making it the firm's 23rd largest position.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend date of May 1, signaling strong cash flow and shareholder returns; the new yield is roughly 0.6%.
• Costco slightly beat quarterly expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B vs. $68.96B, +9.2% YoY), but shares trade near $1,004 with a high P/E (~52) and a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of about $1,046.

Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 28.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 292,767 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 115,235 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 2.6% of Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd owned 0.07% of Costco Wholesale worth $252,465,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm'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 completion of the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,003.70 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.19, a PEG ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of $996.95 and a 200-day moving average of $946.64. 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.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Twenty-two 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's stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a meaningful dividend increase (quarterly to $1.47, annualized $5.88), a direct cash return that supports income-oriented holders and signals confidence in cash flow. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing aggressive store growth — targeting ~30 new warehouses per year — which should relieve overcrowding, widen membership reach and support long-term sales/margin improvements if execution stays on track. Costco plans major growth push, targeting 30 new locations annually
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion continues (example: a new Costco planned for northeast Edmonton), reinforcing the growth story at the store level. A new Costco location is in the works for northeast Edmonton
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s costly automation rollout failure highlights execution risk in grocery tech — a negative for Kroger but indirectly a reminder that Costco’s simpler, scale-driven model can have competitive advantages; effect on COST is ambiguous. Why Kroger’s $2.6B Automation Bet Failed
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail/consumer news (e.g., Tractor Supply’s miss) may add short-term sector noise but doesn't directly change Costco’s fundamentals. Tractor Supply Is Today’s Worst S&P 500 Stock. Here’s Why.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: multiple analyst/press pieces argue COST looks expensive near $1,000 and suggest other S&P names with similar resilience but cheaper multiples — this commentary can prompt profit-taking and cap upside. Is Costco's Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Competition: BJ’s expansion into Texas increases regional competition in the warehouse club space, which could pressure market share/pricing in specific markets over time. New BJ's locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam's expands to Texas

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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