M&T Bank Corp Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Costco by 2.1% in Q4, adding 4,031 shares to hold 198,776 shares valued at about $171.4 million, per its latest 13F filing.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations with $4.58 EPS (vs. $4.55) and revenue of $69.6 billion (+9.2% YoY), and several analysts raised price targets, leaving a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target near $1,046.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), implying a yield of roughly 0.6% and a payout ratio of about 30.6%.

M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 198,776 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 4,031 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $171,412,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amy’s Kitchen will roll select frozen meals into more than 150 Costco warehouses across key U.S. markets, expanding fresh/organic assortment and potentially boosting food sales and member engagement. Amy's Kitchen Lands Costco Distribution in Three Major Markets, Bringing Organic Frozen Meals to Millions of Members
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is hiring ahead of a new Guilderland, NY warehouse opening — a sign of continued unit growth that supports revenue and membership expansion over time. Costco begins hiring as opening of Guilderland warehouse nears
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market pieces highlight Costco’s strong membership metrics and ability to convert members to higher-fee Executive tiers, supporting recurring revenue and margins. This ongoing narrative underpins bullish views despite macro uncertainty. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received recognition in TIME’s influential companies coverage, reinforcing brand strength that supports long-term customer loyalty and pricing power. Costco Wholesale
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail-focused stories on seasonal merchandise and promotions (patio furniture roundups, a Dyson sale) reflect normal merchandising and traffic drivers but are routine and unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. 9 Costco Patio Dining Furniture Sets To Look For In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed elements of its long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo (product tweaks, price intact), a brand-story item that signals attention to costs but keeps the iconic price point. Costco changed the hot dog combo after 40 years. Is it still $1.50? Here's what to know
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces question whether COST’s strong YTD performance and premium valuation leave ample upside from current levels, highlighting its high P/E and recent run — a valuation headwind that can pressure the stock if growth expectations slip. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Year To Date Run?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,011.70 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $996.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $950.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market cap of $448.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued 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. 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 analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current 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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on 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. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two equities 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

About Costco Wholesale

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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