Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.

Key Points

• Tandem Investment Advisors trimmed its Costco stake by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, but still held 50,791 shares valued at about $43.8 million.
• Costco reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $4.58 and revenue of $69.60 billion, both ahead of analyst expectations. Revenue also rose 9.2% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, putting the annualized payout at $5.88 and the yield at about 0.6%.

Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. cut its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 50,791 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,861 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.6% of Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $43,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during 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 period. Amundi raised 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 purchasing an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,176,286 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,739,039,000 after purchasing an additional 31,045 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,499,246,000 after purchasing an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,120,787,000 after buying an additional 8,259 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,028.24 on Tuesday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $1,008.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $960.97. 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 $456.18 billion, a PE ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Costco’s AI and digital investments as a driver of faster sales growth, especially through stronger e-commerce traffic and app personalization that could support long-term revenue gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles frame Costco as a “recession-proof” dividend stock and a long-term hold, pointing to its membership model, steady cash generation, and history of dividend increases as reasons investors continue to favor the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage suggests Wall Street expects another solid quarter, and options traders are pricing in a meaningful move around the report, which often keeps the stock active ahead of results.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer remains upbeat on Costco, reinforcing investor confidence in the retailer’s durable business model and consistent execution.
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday-related coverage about Memorial Day store hours and shopping deals is mainly informational, but it keeps Costco in the consumer spotlight heading into a busy retail period.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lifestyle stories about Costco products and shopping behavior are not likely to move the stock materially, though they underscore the company’s strong brand engagement and customer interest.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business'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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,192.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,052.60.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

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.