Providence First Trust Co Sells 1,746 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Providence First Trust Co cut its stake in Costco by 87.7% in Q4, selling 1,746 shares and leaving the fund with 244 shares worth about $210,000.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (from $1.30), payable May 15 with an ex-dividend date of May 1, equal to a $5.88 annualized payout and roughly a 0.6% yield.
• Top-line momentum remains strong: April net sales jumped 13.0% year-over-year to $23.92 billion for the four weeks ended May 3, and recent quarterly results included a slight EPS beat and 9.2% revenue growth year-over-year.

Providence First Trust Co lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 87.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 244 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,746 shares during the quarter. Providence First Trust Co's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $210,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on COST. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.0%

COST opened at $995.75 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $997.75 and a 200-day moving average of $950.96. The company has a market capitalization of $441.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week 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.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 30.58%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales jumped 13.0% year-over-year to $23.92 billion for the four weeks ended May 3, signaling continued top-line momentum and SKU sell-through strength. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Higher U.S. gasoline prices could boost traffic to Costco fuel centers and lift fuel-margin contributions, a potential tailwind for membership and ancillary sales. Costco Stock (COST) in Focus as U.S. Gasoline Prices Near Record High
• Positive Sentiment: Foot-traffic trends show Costco stores getting busier over several years, supporting membership renewals and higher basket sizes versus peers. Strong traffic persistence is a structural advantage. It's not in your head: Costco has gotten more crowded
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: construction is starting on a Milwaukee County store and a new Camarillo gas station opened ahead of warehouse construction — signs of continued real-estate growth and capacity to add revenue. Construction starts soon on Costco's first Milwaukee County store after land deal Costco opens Camarillo gas station ahead of warehouse construction
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature and merchandise coverage (new groceries, product launches, and grocery lists) supports customer engagement but is unlikely to move shares materially in the short term. The Best New Costco Groceries Hitting Shelves This Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons among big-box peers (Walmart, Target) keep Costco in investor screens; these pieces help sentiment framing but don't by themselves drive immediate moves. Which Big-Box Store Chain Has Dominated 2026: Walmart, Target, or Costco?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage noting the stock has slid and reporting the intraday decline likely feeds short‑term selling and stops. That commentary amplifies volatility even when company fundamentals are steady. Costco (COST) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: commentary warns the stock is richly valued after strong YTD gains, which can make investors hesitant to add new positions and pressure the share price on any macro softening. Costco (COST) Is Hard Not to Love. Buying It Right Now Is Harder
• Negative Sentiment: Broader retail headwinds: Moody’s and other analysts flag an unfavorable retail backdrop (higher prices, weaker discretionary demand); even market leaders can see multiple compression in such environments. Walmart, Costco poised to win amid unfavorable retail environment

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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