Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Provident Trust Co.

Key Points

• Provident Trust Co. trimmed its Costco stake by 4.1% in Q4, selling 23,362 shares and leaving it with 547,266 shares (about 0.12% of Costco), which comprised 7.9% of the fund’s portfolio and was valued at roughly $471.9 million.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88) from $1.30, yielding about 0.6%; the ex-dividend date is May 1 and payment is scheduled for May 15.
• Costco reported Q results of $4.58 EPS (above the $4.55 estimate) and $69.6 billion in revenue (up 9.2% YoY); the stock trades at a P/E of 52.6, has a $448.8 billion market cap, and carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $1,045.97.

Provident Trust Co. lowered its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 547,266 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 23,362 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 7.9% of Provident Trust Co.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Provident Trust Co. owned about 0.12% of Costco Wholesale worth $471,929,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amy’s Kitchen will roll select frozen meals into more than 150 Costco warehouses across key U.S. markets, expanding fresh/organic assortment and potentially boosting food sales and member engagement. Amy's Kitchen Lands Costco Distribution in Three Major Markets, Bringing Organic Frozen Meals to Millions of Members
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is hiring ahead of a new Guilderland, NY warehouse opening — a sign of continued unit growth that supports revenue and membership expansion over time. Costco begins hiring as opening of Guilderland warehouse nears
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market pieces highlight Costco’s strong membership metrics and ability to convert members to higher-fee Executive tiers, supporting recurring revenue and margins. This ongoing narrative underpins bullish views despite macro uncertainty. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received recognition in TIME’s influential companies coverage, reinforcing brand strength that supports long-term customer loyalty and pricing power. Costco Wholesale
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail-focused stories on seasonal merchandise and promotions (patio furniture roundups, a Dyson sale) reflect normal merchandising and traffic drivers but are routine and unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. 9 Costco Patio Dining Furniture Sets To Look For In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed elements of its long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo (product tweaks, price intact), a brand-story item that signals attention to costs but keeps the iconic price point. Costco changed the hot dog combo after 40 years. Is it still $1.50? Here's what to know
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces question whether COST’s strong YTD performance and premium valuation leave ample upside from current levels, highlighting its high P/E and recent run — a valuation headwind that can pressure the stock if growth expectations slip. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Year To Date Run?

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,011.70 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company's 50 day moving average price is $996.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $950.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $448.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 27.04%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were 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 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of 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. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two equities 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.