Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by OLD National Bancorp IN

Key Points

• OLD National Bancorp IN cut its stake in Costco by 3.7%, selling 1,200 shares and leaving it with 31,075 shares valued at about $26.8 million.
• Costco beat quarterly estimates (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% YoY) and the board approved a ~13% dividend increase to $1.47 quarterly (ex-dividend May 1; annualized $5.88, ~0.6% yield).
• Analysts remain broadly positive—MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus (22 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell) with a ~$1,046 average price target—supported by Costco's plans to open dozens more warehouses and recent store openings.

OLD National Bancorp IN cut its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,075 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,200 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $26,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Busey Bank raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock worth $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,104,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,399 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion — Haltom City won a Costco Business Center with an attached fuel station, signaling continued footprint growth and fuel-margin revenue opportunities in a new market. Haltom City lands Costco Business Center, fuel station in major economic win
• Positive Sentiment: New store momentum — A Pensacola Costco has a tentative opening date, underscoring steady unit growth that supports longer-term sales and membership expansion. Pensacola's Costco has an opening date. Sort of.
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic rollout — Costco says it aims to open dozens more warehouses in the coming years, a clear growth plan that supports revenue and membership metrics. Expansion cadence is a direct driver of sales growth. Costco aims for dozens more warehouses in coming years: Here’s when the newest open
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return — The board approved a ~13% quarterly dividend increase to $1.47 per share, raising the annualized payout and making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Investor bullishness — Analysis pieces argue that Costco remains a sector leader and that buying on recent pullbacks could be compelling for long-term investors, supporting demand for the stock. With Costco Down 7% From Its All-Time High, Could Buying Now Set You Up for Life?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context — Coverage notes COST outperformed a weak market session, reflecting defensive demand but not changing fundamentals. Short-term price action may be tied to market rotation rather than new company catalysts. Costco (COST) Ascends While Market Falls: Some Facts to Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion — Several analyst/opinion pieces question whether COST is “too expensive” near $1,000 a share despite strong fundamentals; valuation concerns could temper further rapid upside. Is Costco's Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising competition — BJ’s Wholesale Club is expanding in Texas with new locations and low gas prices, representing localized competitive pressure that could affect membership and fuel margins in those markets. New BJ's locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam's expands to Texas

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,014.38 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $997.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $947.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $450.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.75, a PEG ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a $1.47 dividend. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on COST. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Truist Financial boosted their price target 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. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Gordon Haskett upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.