Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Purchases 1,633 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its Costco stake by 44.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 1,633 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 5,283 shares valued at about $4.56 million.
• Costco posted better-than-expected quarterly results, reporting EPS of $4.58 versus $4.55 expected and revenue of $69.6 billion, with sales up 9.2% from a year earlier.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $1,047.27.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 44.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,283 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,633 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,556,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,021.88 on Wednesday. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $998.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $952.99. The firm has a market cap of $453.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.92. 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 one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Gordon Haskett boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,047.27.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

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.

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