Strategic Advisors LLC Buys 3,157 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its Costco stake by 70.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 3,157 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 7,653 shares worth about $6.6 million.
• Costco’s latest earnings showed mixed results: revenue topped expectations at $70.53 billion, but earnings per share came in one cent below consensus at $4.93. Shares were trading lower as investors continued to weigh the company’s strong operating performance against its premium valuation.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive, with several firms raising price targets and the stock holding a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Costco also recently increased its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share, up from $1.30 previously.

Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 70.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,653 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 3,157 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.0% of Strategic Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Strategic Advisors LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake 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. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bulls continue to point to Costco’s strong long-term drivers, including value-focused pricing, membership growth, solid traffic, and digital expansion, with Jefferies and DA Davidson both highlighting the company’s durable business model and reinforcing constructive outlooks. Costco's value strategy, membership growth support outlook after strong quarter, says Jefferies
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal Q3 showed continued sales strength, including 9.8% comparable sales growth and 12% revenue growth, while reports also noted record gas sales and strong protein-related demand, suggesting healthy consumer traffic and resilient basket sizes. Is Costco's 9.8% Comparable Sales Growth Stronger Than It Looks?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is benefiting from shifting consumer demand for protein-heavy foods and drinks, which could support category growth as GLP-1 usage and wellness trends boost protein spending. Costco is selling wild amounts of protein as whey shortages loom
• Neutral Sentiment: Several new-store and local development stories, including plans for a new Costco in Irondale and efforts to preserve a Kansas City location, are supportive of the growth narrative but are not immediate stock catalysts. New Costco coming to Irondale. Here's what to know
• Negative Sentiment: The main reason the stock is falling is that investors appear unconvinced the strong operating results justify Costco’s premium valuation, especially after the shares slid to a three-month low following earnings. Costco (COST) Stock Drops 16% From Peak — Should You Buy the Dip?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite solid revenue growth, multiple articles note that the stock did not get a post-earnings boost, reflecting concern about slowing membership growth, margin sensitivity, and whether the recent pullback is enough to make the shares attractive. Why Even 12% Revenue Growth in Q3 Wasn't Enough to Give Costco's Stock a Boost

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. UBS Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,056.32.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of COST stock opened at $946.11 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $419.74 billion, a PE ratio of 47.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1,007.23 and a 200 day moving average of $963.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.72%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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