Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV Sells 1,774 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV cut its Costco stake by 13.8% in Q4, selling 1,774 shares and finishing the period with 11,109 shares worth $9.58 million.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend about 13% to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend/record date on May 1 and payment on May 15, implying a ~0.6% yield.
• Insiders sold shares recently (EVPs Teresa Jones and Claudine Adamo sold 850 and 730 shares), with insiders disposing of 2,038 shares in the quarter worth roughly $2.01 million; corporate insiders now own about 0.10% of the stock.

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 13.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,109 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,774 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,580,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Trinity Legacy Partners LLC now owns 6,870 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,924,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 6,247 shares of the retailer's stock worth $5,387,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 71,705 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,834,000 after acquiring an additional 1,023 shares during the period. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Consilium Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 1,593 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,374,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Management Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $867,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,038 shares of company stock worth $2,007,916. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $984.75 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company's fifty day moving average price is $995.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $943.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $436.88 billion, a PE ratio of 51.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raises the quarterly cash dividend ~13% (to $1.47/share), signaling shareholder focus and returning more cash to investors — a direct, tangible positive for income-oriented holders and a clear reason investors are buying the stock. GlobeNewswire: Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Investors cheer the dividend hike and related coverage, reinforcing bullish sentiment; multiple outlets note the long history of dividend growth, which supports confidence in management’s capital allocation. TipRanks: Investors Cheer
• Positive Sentiment: March/quarterly sales momentum remains strong (high same-store comps and sizable digital growth), supporting the case that revenue trends justify Costco’s premium valuation. Strong sales data underpins earnings outlooks and analyst confidence. Zacks: Strong March Retail Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts (Telsey, Wells Fargo) have nudged up price targets and reiterated positive views, citing steady execution — analyst upgrades help lift sentiment and provide bench‑marks for investors. Yahoo Finance: Analyst Target Raises
• Neutral Sentiment: Walmart’s Sam’s Club is increasing membership fees; some analysts argue higher fees could indirectly benefit Costco if members defect, while others view it as intensified competition — the net impact is uncertain. The Motley Fool: Sam's Club Fee Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term narratives — rapid international growth (notably Japan) and occasional discussion of potential Dow inclusion — support the growth story but are incremental versus near-term drivers. Yahoo Finance: Japan Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Local competition: reporting shows Sam’s Club and BJ’s gaining traction in some areas Costco dominates, which could pressure specific markets and margins if the trend widens. TheStreet: Competitors Gaining Traction

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. 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 MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,043.13.

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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