Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.

Key Points

• Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. reduced its stake in Costco by 23.4% in Q4, selling 1,070 shares and retaining 3,500 shares valued at about $3.02 million (≈0.8% of the firm's portfolio).
• Costco approved a 13% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $1.47 per share (annualized $5.88, ~0.6% yield), payable May 15 with an ex-dividend date of May 1.
• In its most recent quarter Costco slightly beat expectations with EPS of $4.58 versus $4.55 and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year-over-year), and analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $1,043.

Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 23.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,500 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,070 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.8% of Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,018,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $441,919,000 after buying an additional 252,453 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 638.7% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $225,023,000 after buying an additional 196,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $158,189,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,038 shares of company stock worth $2,007,916. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.0%

NASDAQ COST opened at $984.75 on Thursday. 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 capitalization of $436.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.21, a P/E/G ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $995.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $943.83.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is 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 yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,155.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,043.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 13% increase in the quarterly cash dividend (from $1.30 to $1.47 per share; annualized $5.88), payable May 15 — a shareholder-friendly move that supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. GlobeNewswire: Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Research houses (Telsey Advisory Group and Wells Fargo) raised price targets and reiterated positive ratings, citing steady execution — analyst upgrades and higher targets often lift sentiment and buying interest. Yahoo Finance: Telsey & Wells Fargo Raise Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Recent retail data show strong March sales and comp-store strength (including digital growth), reinforcing the view that Costco’s membership model continues to drive traffic and sales momentum. Zacks: Strong March Retail Sales
• Positive Sentiment: International expansion, especially strong performance in Japan (now a top market), highlights recurring membership growth and a path for overseas store openings to add incremental revenue. Yahoo Finance: Japan Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive brand coverage (iconic U.S. positioning, $1.50 hot dog lore) reinforces customer loyalty and marketing moat but has limited direct near-term impact on earnings. USA Today: Iconic Brand Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary suggesting Costco could be considered for the Dow adds prestige and occasional headline interest, but index inclusion is speculative and not an immediate earnings driver. 247WallSt: Dow Inclusion Discussion
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple pieces note Costco’s premium valuation (high P/E and compressed yield versus peers) and recent pullback, warning that rich multiples may limit near-term upside despite operational strength. That valuation concern is a key counterweight for growth-oriented buyers. Yahoo Finance: Valuation / Reassessment

Costco Wholesale Company 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.