Diversify Advisory Services LLC Has $24.43 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Costco by 8.5% to 28,333 shares, now worth about $24.43 million and making Costco its 26th largest holding.
• Costco reported an earnings beat (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55 est.) and revenue of $69.6B (+9.2% YoY), but the stock faces valuation scrutiny with a P/E around 51.9, a market cap of ~$443B, and a consensus price target of $1,043.13.
• Costco pays a quarterly dividend of $1.30 (0.5% yield) while insiders have sold shares recently (3,538 shares valued at ~$3.42M over 90 days) and institutional ownership stands at 68.48%.

Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 28,333 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,225 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.8% of Diversify Advisory Services LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Diversify Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $24,433,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Fonville Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Fonville Wealth Management LLC now owns 518 shares of the retailer's stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. Strong Tower Advisory Services now owns 3,864 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,332,000 after acquiring an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. Clarity Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Clarity Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,722 shares of the retailer's stock worth $10,109,000 after acquiring an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 36,594 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,556,000 after acquiring an additional 1,126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Telos Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,338 shares of the retailer's stock worth $11,502,000 after acquiring an additional 1,630 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 3.3%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $998.47 on Friday. 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 capitalization of $442.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.92, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company's fifty day moving average price is $995.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $942.88.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS 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 net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,416. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales beat and traffic strength — Costco reported March net sales up ~11.3% to $28.41B with strong comps and digital growth, reinforcing momentum in membership, transactions and fuel-driven traffic. This is the main fundamental bullish catalyst supporting higher estimates for revenue and same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades / price-target raises — Deutsche Bank, Telsey and Wells Fargo raised price targets (Deutsche to $1,104; Telsey to $1,135; Wells Fargo to $1,000), providing analyst support that can underpin upside in the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media/catalyst mentions — Jim Cramer highlighted two operational catalysts (e.g., fuel pricing and other retailer advantages), and viral consumer interest in Costco’s one-ounce gold bars and popular product finds is boosting brand visibility and short-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterates Neutral at $1,000 — the firm reaffirmed a neutral view with a target essentially in line with the stock’s level, suggesting limited near-term upside from that shop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and retail write-ups continue to praise Costco’s long-term thesis — several outlets (The Motley Fool, Zacks, Yahoo lifestyle pieces) published favorable takes on Costco’s moat and product wins; these support sentiment but are longer‑term confirmation rather than immediate catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data shows no meaningful build — reported short interest was effectively zero in the latest snapshot, so short-covering or squeeze dynamics are not a near-term driver. (likely data/formatting artifact)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — several analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha, some sell-side notes) argue Costco’s premium multiple (~50x) is hard to justify, which can cap upside and prompt profit-taking after the sales beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Macro / headline-driven risk — broader market weakness (S&P futures reacting to geopolitical headlines) likely weighed on retail and large-cap retailers today and may have triggered sector-wide selling pressure that offset Costco’s positive sales print. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Gordon Haskett upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note 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 stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. 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 company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,043.13.

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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