Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. Grows Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. increased its stake in Costco by 19.7% in Q4, bringing its holding to 13,738 shares valued at about $11.85 million.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88) from $1.30, with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and a yield around 0.6%, signaling management confidence in cash flow.
• The company posted a slight beat on results with $4.58 EPS vs. $4.55 expected and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year-over-year), supported by membership fee tailwinds and ongoing store expansion.

Richard C. Young & CO. LTD. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 19.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,738 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,263 shares during the quarter. Richard C. Young & CO. LTD.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,847,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock worth $37,615,889,000 after purchasing an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock worth $2,911,331,000 after purchasing an additional 34,826 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,499,246,000 after purchasing an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,120,787,000 after purchasing an additional 8,259 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,011.15 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company's 50 day moving average is $997.12 and its 200 day moving average is $948.04. 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 company has a market cap of $448.60 billion, a PE ratio of 52.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 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. Investors 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 an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly cash dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), signaling confidence in cash flow and making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights that the September 2024 membership fee hike is now fully flowing into 2026 results, helping margin expansion and supporting recent EPS beats — a direct earnings tailwind. Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): One of the Best Safe Stocks for Beginner Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Company continues to open new warehouses, plus a Costco Business Center and fuel station win that should boost regional sales and commercial accounts over time. Expansion supports long-term same-store growth and membership value. Costco aims for dozens more warehouses in coming years: Here’s when the newest open
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces debate valuation: some say near-$1,000 price is justified by cash generation and resilience, others warn the stock looks expensive — this debate can mute buying momentum. Is Costco's Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-note pieces pointing to recent intraday moves and the stock’s position relative to its all-time high are creating short-term trading interest but not new fundamental news. Costco (COST) Ascends While Market Falls: Some Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Sam’s Club launched initiatives touted as reasons some members might switch, renewing concerns about competitive pressure on membership growth and price-driven traffic. Sam's Club just gave members a reason to ditch Costco
• Negative Sentiment: Rivals such as BJ’s are expanding into new markets (e.g., Texas), adding localized competition that could pressure price or fuel margins in certain regions. New BJ's locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam's expands to Texas

Insider Activity

In related 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 value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Gordon Haskett increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

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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