M&T Bank Corp Has $67.43 Million Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp cut its stake in Costco by 59.9% in Q4, selling 116,556 shares and finishing the quarter with 78,189 shares valued at about $67.43 million.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend by roughly 13% to $1.47 (annualized $5.88, yield ~0.6%), with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and payment on May 15, signaling strong cash flow and management confidence.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish—22 Buys vs. 11 Holds and an average price target of $1,045.97—after Costco posted a slight quarterly EPS beat ($4.58 vs. $4.55) and revenue of $69.6B, up 9.2% year‑over‑year.

M&T Bank Corp reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 59.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 78,189 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 116,556 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $67,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Trust Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $335,000. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Caliber Wealth Management LLC KS now owns 669 shares of the retailer's stock worth $577,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Clarity Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Clarity Financial LLC now owns 36,245 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,256,000 after buying an additional 1,965 shares during the period. Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC now owns 820 shares of the retailer's stock worth $707,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Davidson Kahn Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.4% during the fourth quarter. Davidson Kahn Capital Management LLC now owns 624 shares of the retailer's stock worth $538,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm's 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. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased 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 note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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 NASDAQ COST opened at $1,005.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $446.23 billion, a PE ratio of 52.30, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 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. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $996.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $946.24. 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. As a group, 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 paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 payout ratio is 30.58%.

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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