Dillon & Associates Inc. Purchases 2,230 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Dillon & Associates Inc. increased its Costco stake by 19.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 2,230 more shares and bringing its total holding to 13,658 shares worth about $11.8 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 68.48% of Costco shares held by institutions, while insider ownership is minimal at 0.10% despite EVP Claudine Adamo recently selling 730 shares.
• Wall Street is still broadly positive on Costco: analysts currently have a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, and the company also recently raised its quarterly dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share.

Dillon & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 19.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,658 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,230 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.5% of Dillon & Associates Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Dillon & Associates Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COST. Brown Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Wealth Management LLC now owns 305 shares of the retailer's stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 655 shares of the retailer's stock worth $606,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Somerset Group LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Somerset Group LLC now owns 4,220 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,906,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer's stock worth $245,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank & Trust Co raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 71 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Roth Mkm reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,028.24 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $1,008.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $960.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market cap of $456.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Key Stories Impacting 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.

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.

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