Truist Financial Corp Reduces Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Truist Financial cut its stake in Costco by 7.9% in Q4, selling 25,057 shares and leaving it with 290,254 shares worth about $250.3 million, while roughly 68.48% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• Costco reported an earnings beat with $4.58 EPS vs. $4.55 expected and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% YoY), and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 ($5.88 annualized, a 0.6% yield).
• The shares trade at a premium valuation (P/E ~52.6) but carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" from analysts with an average price target of about $1,045.97.

Truist Financial Corp reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 7.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 290,254 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 25,057 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corp owned approximately 0.07% of Costco Wholesale worth $250,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sun Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $1,703,000. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 2,218 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,913,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the period. Advisors Preferred LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. Advisors Preferred LLC now owns 1,727 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,476,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the period. FSA Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8,358.1% during the 4th quarter. FSA Advisors Inc. now owns 19,200 shares of the retailer's stock worth $16,557,000 after purchasing an additional 18,973 shares during the period. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 154.1% during the 4th quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,550 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,337,000 after purchasing an additional 940 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,011.70 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $996.93 and a 200 day moving average of $950.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,067.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $448.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.92. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on COST shares. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Roth Mkm reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amy’s Kitchen will roll select frozen meals into more than 150 Costco warehouses across key U.S. markets, expanding fresh/organic assortment and potentially boosting food sales and member engagement. Amy's Kitchen Lands Costco Distribution in Three Major Markets, Bringing Organic Frozen Meals to Millions of Members
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is hiring ahead of a new Guilderland, NY warehouse opening — a sign of continued unit growth that supports revenue and membership expansion over time. Costco begins hiring as opening of Guilderland warehouse nears
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market pieces highlight Costco’s strong membership metrics and ability to convert members to higher-fee Executive tiers, supporting recurring revenue and margins. This ongoing narrative underpins bullish views despite macro uncertainty. Better Buy: Walmart or Costco Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received recognition in TIME’s influential companies coverage, reinforcing brand strength that supports long-term customer loyalty and pricing power. Costco Wholesale
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail-focused stories on seasonal merchandise and promotions (patio furniture roundups, a Dyson sale) reflect normal merchandising and traffic drivers but are routine and unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. 9 Costco Patio Dining Furniture Sets To Look For In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed elements of its long-standing $1.50 hot dog combo (product tweaks, price intact), a brand-story item that signals attention to costs but keeps the iconic price point. Costco changed the hot dog combo after 40 years. Is it still $1.50? Here's what to know
• Negative Sentiment: Several pieces question whether COST’s strong YTD performance and premium valuation leave ample upside from current levels, highlighting its high P/E and recent run — a valuation headwind that can pressure the stock if growth expectations slip. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Its Strong Year To Date Run?

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale 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 value of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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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