Arlington Trust Co LLC Sells 2,329 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Arlington Trust Co. LLC reduced its Costco stake by 81.7% in Q4, selling 2,329 shares and leaving the firm with 520 shares valued at about $448,000.
• Costco slightly beat expectations for the quarter with EPS of $4.58 vs. $4.55 and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year‑over‑year), and analysts maintain an overall "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target near $1,046.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88, yield ~0.6%), payable May 15 with an ex‑dividend date of May 1.

Arlington Trust Co LLC reduced its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 81.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 520 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,329 shares during the quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $448,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $998.01 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $996.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $948.66. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $442.77 billion, a PE ratio of 51.90, a P/E/G ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Membership renewal rates remain near record highs, which supports recurring revenue, cash flow and the margin profile that underpins Costco’s rich valuation. Targeted outreach and auto‑renewal programs could further stabilize retention. Costco's Renewal Rates Hold Strong: Can Digital Members Catch Up?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst previews expect Costco’s upcoming quarter to show low‑double‑digit EPS growth, reinforcing near‑term earnings momentum and supporting consensus estimates ahead of the print. Here's What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Next Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened retail and investor attention: Zacks notes COST is a "trending" stock, which can boost volume and volatility but doesn't change fundamentals. Expect bigger intraday swings while momentum is concentrated. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Some customer-service and product FAQs (e.g., tire returns) circulated broadly; these are largely operational/consumer‑facing stories with limited impact on corporate profitability. Does Costco accept returns on tires?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: BJ’s expanded aggressively into Texas and the warehouse‑club segment is getting more competitive. Increased competition could pressure membership growth, traffic or pricing in certain markets over time. BJ’s takes on Costco with major expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Digital-member renewal rates lag in some cohorts; if digital sign‑ups consistently underperform, membership revenue growth could slow unless outreach/auto‑renewal efforts fully close the gap. Costco's Renewal Rates Hold Strong: Can Digital Members Catch Up?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Gordon Haskett upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

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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