Osprey Private Wealth LLC Increases Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Osprey Private Wealth LLC boosted its Costco stake by 29.7% in the fourth quarter, adding 1,934 shares and bringing its total to 8,445 shares worth about $7.28 million.
• Costco’s recent operating results were strong, with April net sales up 13% and its latest quarter beating earnings and revenue expectations, reinforcing bullish sentiment from analysts.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share, while Wall Street remains largely positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $1,046.03.

Osprey Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 29.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,445 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,934 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.1% of Osprey Private Wealth LLC's holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. Osprey Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 of the company's stock, valued at $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 is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $998.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $951.50. 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 firm has a market cap of $447.55 billion, a PE ratio of 52.46, a P/E/G ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,046.03.

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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