Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. Buys 1,505 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. boosted its stake in Costco by 13.5% in Q4, adding 1,505 shares to hold 12,680 shares worth $10.935 million, about 4.2% of the firm's portfolio and its third-largest position.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend 13.1% to $1.47 per share (annualized $5.88), with an ex-dividend date of May 1 and payment on May 15, signaling strong free cash flow and shareholder support.
• In the latest quarter Costco beat estimates with EPS of $4.58 (vs. $4.55) and revenue of $69.60 billion (vs. $68.96B), up 9.2% year-over-year, and analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $1,045.97 price target.

Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 13.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,680 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,505 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 4.2% of Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $10,935,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,029,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $8,416,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on COST. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Roth Mkm restated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two research 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

COST opened at $997.84 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $442.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.89, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.99. 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's 50 day moving average is $995.75 and its 200-day moving average is $945.60. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend 13.1% to $1.47 per share, signaling strong free cash flow and management confidence — a shareholder-friendly move that typically supports the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Digital investments are driving sales growth: digitally enabled comps rose ~22.6%, helped by personalization, app adoption and faster-checkout pilots — evidence Costco can grow higher-margin channels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management is expanding the footprint (renewed expansion plans and local demand signals), which supports long-term membership and revenue growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst boosted Costco’s price target to $1,110 and recent upgrades have lifted sentiment — incremental analyst support can underpin rallies. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco remains a top defensive consumer-staples pick in market commentary; useful for long-term holders but not an immediate catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Small institutional/trading activity: Baskin Financial Services sold a trivial 617 shares in the latest filing — immaterial to fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple pieces flag valuation risk — some analysts and commentators say Costco looks “priced for perfection,” limiting near-term upside and encouraging profit-taking. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and retail investment: Walmart’s large store remodel program and Target’s rebound are reminders of intensifying omnichannel competition that could pressure traffic/margins over time. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Analytical views that “compounding is already priced in” suggest investors may rotate out after recent gains, contributing to today’s weakness. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.