US Bancorp DE Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Costco by 0.7%, owning 517,948 shares after buying 3,413 more, a position valued at about $446.7 million; overall institutional ownership stands at 68.48%.
• Costco beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $4.58 versus $4.55 expected and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% year-over-year).
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88) with an ex-dividend date of May 1, representing a yield of roughly 0.6% and up from the prior $1.30 quarterly payout.

US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 517,948 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 3,413 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE owned 0.12% of Costco Wholesale worth $446,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $998.67 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company has a fifty day moving average of $996.40 and a 200 day moving average of $949.46. The company has a market capitalization of $443.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.93, a P/E/G ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last announced 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 the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. Costco Wholesale's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan analysis says Costco is roughly “60% cheaper than traditional grocery,” underscoring a widening value gap that supports market-share gains and defensive retailing in a price-sensitive environment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group marginally raised its FY2027 EPS forecast for Costco to $22.52 (from $22.47), a small but constructive analyst upgrade vs. consensus, which supports higher forward earnings expectations. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag Costco as the most price-competitive among peers (vs. WMT, AMZN), reinforcing its durable membership flywheel and margin resilience over time. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Costco increased its dividend (reported among large-cap dividend raises), which is supportive for income-focused investors and signals confidence in cash generation. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco quietly changed the $1.50 hot dog + soda combo (product/content tweak) while keeping the price intact — a symbolic move for branding/operations but not material to fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: New product placements (Häagen‑Dazs ice cream bar at Costco) and consumer gadget roundups keep merchandising fresh but are minor drivers of stock moves. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate retail headlines compare Costco favorably to Target, reinforcing the membership model’s strength; useful context but already reflected in sentiment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Murphy USA (MUSA) beat Q1 estimates — not directly related to Costco but part of broader retail/consumer fuel-cost and convenience-store dynamics. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators argue Walmart’s evolution into ad/data monetization gives it more near-term upside than Costco, suggesting relative multiple compression risk for COST. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer and others note Costco’s rich valuation (~49x reported earnings), a reminder that even positive execution faces multiple/valuation risk. Article Title

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, 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 hyperlink. 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.

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