Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC Buys 2,193 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Kingswood Wealth Advisors increased its stake in Costco by 36.3%, adding 2,193 shares to hold 8,241 shares valued at about $7.11 million, and institutional investors now own roughly 68.48% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $1,045.97 as several brokerages raised price targets, though some commentators warn the stock looks expensive around the $1,000 level.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55) with revenue up 9.2%, announced a higher quarterly dividend of $1.47 (annualized $5.88), and is pursuing aggressive expansion — targeting about 30 new warehouses per year.

Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 36.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,241 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,193 shares during the period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on COST. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Gordon Haskett boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $1,003.70 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $996.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $946.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $445.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.19, a P/E/G ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend 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 27.04%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a meaningful dividend increase (quarterly to $1.47, annualized $5.88), a direct cash return that supports income-oriented holders and signals confidence in cash flow. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing aggressive store growth — targeting ~30 new warehouses per year — which should relieve overcrowding, widen membership reach and support long-term sales/margin improvements if execution stays on track. Costco plans major growth push, targeting 30 new locations annually
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion continues (example: a new Costco planned for northeast Edmonton), reinforcing the growth story at the store level. A new Costco location is in the works for northeast Edmonton
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s costly automation rollout failure highlights execution risk in grocery tech — a negative for Kroger but indirectly a reminder that Costco’s simpler, scale-driven model can have competitive advantages; effect on COST is ambiguous. Why Kroger’s $2.6B Automation Bet Failed
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail/consumer news (e.g., Tractor Supply’s miss) may add short-term sector noise but doesn't directly change Costco’s fundamentals. Tractor Supply Is Today’s Worst S&P 500 Stock. Here’s Why.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: multiple analyst/press pieces argue COST looks expensive near $1,000 and suggest other S&P names with similar resilience but cheaper multiples — this commentary can prompt profit-taking and cap upside. Is Costco's Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Competition: BJ’s expansion into Texas increases regional competition in the warehouse club space, which could pressure market share/pricing in specific markets over time. New BJ's locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam's expands to Texas

Costco Wholesale Company 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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