Emerald Advisors LLC Buys 16,198 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Emerald Advisors increased its Costco stake by 2.6% in Q4, buying 16,198 shares to hold 639,762 shares, which make up about 75.1% of the firm's portfolio and represent roughly 0.14% of Costco valued at $551.7 million.
• Costco narrowly beat quarterly expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% YoY), raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (annual $5.88, yield ~0.6%), and is pursuing growth by targeting about 30 new warehouses per year while analysts maintain an average target near $1,046 ("Moderate Buy").

Emerald Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 639,762 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 16,198 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 75.1% of Emerald Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its largest holding. Emerald Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Costco Wholesale worth $551,693,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,045.97.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company-wide expansion: Costco is targeting roughly 30 new warehouses per year to relieve overcrowding, expand member reach and drive long‑term sales growth. This accelerates capital deployment but supports higher unit volumes and membership growth. Costco plans major growth push, targeting 30 new locations annually
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion example: A new Costco is planned for northeast Edmonton, underlining the company’s ongoing footprint growth in key markets and steady membership acquisition in Canada. A new Costco location is in the works for northeast Edmonton
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by ~13%, signaling strong free cash flow and management confidence—this can attract income‑oriented investors and provide support to the stock’s valuation. As Costco Raises Its Dividend More Than 13%, Should You Buy, Sell, or Hold COST Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Digital sales momentum: Costco’s digital investments are lifting sales and digitally enabled comps are rising, driven by app growth, personalization and faster‑checkout pilots—supporting higher same‑store sales and lower friction for members. Costco's Digital Investments Drive Sales Growth: What Comes Next?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment: At least one outlet reports a raised price target (to $1,110), which can bolster investor sentiment and serve as a bullish reference point for momentum traders. Costco Wholesale NASDAQ: COST Price Target Raised to $1,110.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation perspective: Some analysts note that Costco’s steady compounding growth is well priced into the stock, signaling limited upside unless growth accelerates or margins expand. This is a reminder to weigh valuation vs. growth. Costco: When Compounding Is Already Priced In
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context: Retail peers (Walmart, Target, Dollar General) are also investing in stores and omnichannel, which could influence market share dynamics—monitor execution and margin impacts across the sector. Walmart Expands and Modernizes Stores to Support Omnichannel Growth

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,005.81 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $996.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $946.24. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market cap of $446.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.30, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued 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 return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 issued a $1.47 dividend. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

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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