Financial Plan Inc. Makes New Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Financial Plan Inc. purchased a new position in Costco, acquiring 1,289 shares valued at approximately $1,111,000 during the fourth quarter.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend by about 13% to $1.47 per share (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and a yield around 0.6%.
• Management is targeting roughly 30 new warehouses per year to drive growth, while analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target near $1,046.

Financial Plan Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,289 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,111,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock worth $8,416,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred 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. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,005.81 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $446.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.30, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $996.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $946.24.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. 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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