Merit Financial Group LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Costco by 7.5%, adding 2,445 shares to hold 35,169 shares valued at about $30.33 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% YoY) and raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (ex-div May 1, payable May 15; annualized $5.88, yield ~0.6%).
• Analysts remain broadly positive—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $1,045.97, some banks lifting targets above $1,100, and institutional investors owning about 68.48% of the stock.

Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 7.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,169 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,445 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $30,328,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Martin Capital Advisors LLP raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Martin Capital Advisors LLP now owns 4,560 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,932,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Welch Group LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 2,286 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 478 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 33,935 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,172,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 77.2% during the fourth quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 74,670 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $64,392,000 after purchasing an additional 32,542 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Funds Management LTD raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Funds Management LTD now owns 31,698 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $27,383,000 after acquiring an additional 2,872 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

NASDAQ COST opened at $999.89 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $995.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $944.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $443.60 billion, a PE ratio of 52.00, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. The business's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.04%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (payable May 15; record May 1), a sign of strong cash flow and management confidence that lifted investor sentiment. Costco Raises Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Major banks bumped price targets — JPMorgan raised its PT to $1,110 and Mizuho to $1,100 while keeping bullish ratings, signaling analyst conviction in upside vs. current levels. JPMorgan Adjusts PT Mizuho Adjusts PT
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and sales momentum: Costco reported strong March net sales and recent quarterly results that beat expectations, reinforcing growth and margin resilience. Analysts cite that momentum as part of the bull case alongside the dividend move. Bull Case for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Product exclusives and in-warehouse surprises — Costco continues to roll out exclusive large-format items and even popular fast-food products that drive foot traffic and impulse buys. These merchandising wins help differentiate membership value. Costco Adds Fast-Food Product Exclusive Aussie Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Checkout and store tech improvements (automated pay stations, AI pricing/markdowns) aim to speed throughput and reduce perishables waste; these are positive long-term but will take time to scale. Automated Pay Stations Grocers Use AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Sam’s Club and BJ’s are making localized gains and Sam’s Club fee moves could reshape pricing among warehouse clubs; this could benefit Costco if it retains perceived value, but it’s an evolving factor. Competitors Gaining Traction Sam's Club Fees
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel sales are elevated (adds revenue/traffic), but analysts warn there’s a caveat around margins and sensitivity to gas price swings; persistent high fuel/traffic volatility could dampen same-store trends. Gas Sales Catch

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.