Osprey Private Wealth LLC Acquires 1,934 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Osprey Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 29.7% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 8,445 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,934 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 2.1% of Osprey Private Wealth LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Osprey Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: April net sales rose 13% and comparable sales remained strong, signaling resilient demand and solid momentum for Costco’s core business. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating after the sales update, pointing to Costco’s steady comparable sales trend despite macro uncertainty. Costco April sales top expectations despite Easter shift, macroeconomic uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Deutsche Bank raised its price target and kept a Buy rating, adding to bullish sentiment around the stock. Deutsche Bank adjusts Costco Wholesale PT
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter around a possible special dividend later this year may be attracting income-focused investors to COST. Is Costco Preparing Another Special Dividend This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also in the news for store expansion plans in California and Florida, which is constructive long term but not an immediate stock catalyst. Costco plots major California expansion as it announces new store openings
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product roundups highlight Costco’s strong brand and value perception, but these are unlikely to move the stock much on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit over Costco’s tariff-refund pricing strategy could create legal and margin uncertainty, though the longer-term financial impact is still unclear. Costco’s Going to Court Because It Wants to Give You Tariff Refunds

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.3%

COST opened at $1,008.79 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $998.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $951.50. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a market capitalization of $447.55 billion, a PE ratio of 52.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,046.03.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.