Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Faithward Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Faithward Advisors LLC sharply reduced its Costco stake in the fourth quarter, cutting holdings by 63% and selling 2,898 shares. The firm ended the period with 1,705 shares valued at about $1.47 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 22 Buy ratings versus 11 Hold and 1 Sell, and an average target price of $1,060.41. Recent target increases from firms like JPMorgan, Sanford C. Bernstein, and BTIG reflect continued confidence in Costco’s long-term growth story.
• Costco posted mixed quarterly results but raised its dividend: EPS of $4.93 slightly missed estimates, while revenue of $70.53 billion topped forecasts. The company also boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, underscoring strong cash generation.

Faithward Advisors LLC cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 63.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,705 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 2,898 shares during the period. Faithward Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators highlighted Costco’s strong membership model, record gasoline sales, and expanding e-commerce and wellness offerings as signs that the company continues to deepen customer loyalty and drive higher spending. Costco Leans On Gasoline, E Commerce And Wellness To Deepen Member Value
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces argued that Costco still looks like a premium growth story, with steady comparable sales, strong cash generation, and digital sales gaining more credit from investors. Can Costco Stock Break $1,100 by 2027?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks described Costco as a top long-term growth stock, reinforcing the view that its scale, membership strength, and recurring demand make it attractive to growth-oriented investors. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage of Costco’s Pensacola warehouse opening underscored the company’s continued expansion and dominance in the warehouse-club market, which supports the bull case for future revenue growth. Costco’s dominance shows why its Pensacola debut matters
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles mostly repeated the same positive thesis—trending stock status, digital sales outpacing the core business, and strong investor interest—without adding major new company-specific catalysts. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Shows How Digitally Enabled Sales Are Outrunning Its Core Business
• Negative Sentiment: One broader retail article focused on Walmart’s slowing core U.S. business, which could keep investors cautious about the retail sector even as Costco continues to stand out. The Number That Could Test Walmart Stock

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Roth Mkm increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,060.41.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.3%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $979.45 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market cap of $434.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.27, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,004.63 and a 200-day moving average of $967.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.58%.

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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