Northbridge Financial Group LLC Makes New $1.41 Million Investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Northbridge Financial Group LLC initiated a new position in Costco Wholesale, buying 1,638 shares valued at about $1.41 million in the fourth quarter.
• Costco reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, posting $4.58 per share on $69.6 billion in revenue, with sales rising 9.2% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, extending its long streak of dividend increases and reinforcing investor confidence in its cash generation.

Northbridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,638 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,413,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $15,835,000 after purchasing an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $121,098,000 after purchasing an additional 27,625 shares during the last quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $370,140,000 after purchasing an additional 5,937 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,004.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $957.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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 by 13% to $1.47 per share, marking 22 straight years of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash generation. This helped push shares to new highs. Where Will Costco Stock Be In 2028?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive ahead of the company’s May 28 earnings report, with Oppenheimer lifting its price target to $1,160 after strong April sales and the dividend hike. Costco (COST) Stock Gains as Analysts Raise Price Targets Before Quarterly Report
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales reinforced its defensive appeal, with 11.6% comparable sales growth and 18.8% digital sales growth as value-focused shoppers kept buying in bulk. Costco's April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
• Positive Sentiment: New food-court items, including chicken strips, are generating customer buzz and social media attention that may support traffic and membership loyalty. Forget chicken fingers, Costco quietly adds new food court item
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss whether Costco should split its stock now that shares are above $1,000, but management has not announced any split. Costco's Stock Keeps Breaking the $1,000 Threshold -- Don't Expect a Stock Split

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment 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 presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,049.27.

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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