OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd Increases Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 43.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,519 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 767 shares during the quarter. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Financial Plan Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,111,000. Leelyn Smith LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 6,268 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,405,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.1% during the 4th quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. now owns 724 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $624,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,208.0% during the 4th quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 6,514 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,618,000 after acquiring an additional 6,016 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CFM Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. CFM Wealth Partners LLC now owns 12,598 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,864,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $1,003.70 on Thursday. 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 has a market cap of $445.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.19, a PEG ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50 day moving average is $996.95 and its 200 day moving average is $946.64. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted 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 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%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change 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 27.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,103.00 to $1,104.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price target on the stock. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a meaningful dividend increase (quarterly to $1.47, annualized $5.88), a direct cash return that supports income-oriented holders and signals confidence in cash flow. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing aggressive store growth — targeting ~30 new warehouses per year — which should relieve overcrowding, widen membership reach and support long-term sales/margin improvements if execution stays on track. Costco plans major growth push, targeting 30 new locations annually
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion continues (example: a new Costco planned for northeast Edmonton), reinforcing the growth story at the store level. A new Costco location is in the works for northeast Edmonton
• Neutral Sentiment: Kroger’s costly automation rollout failure highlights execution risk in grocery tech — a negative for Kroger but indirectly a reminder that Costco’s simpler, scale-driven model can have competitive advantages; effect on COST is ambiguous. Why Kroger’s $2.6B Automation Bet Failed
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader retail/consumer news (e.g., Tractor Supply’s miss) may add short-term sector noise but doesn’t directly change Costco’s fundamentals. Tractor Supply Is Today’s Worst S&P 500 Stock. Here’s Why.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: multiple analyst/press pieces argue COST looks expensive near $1,000 and suggest other S&P names with similar resilience but cheaper multiples — this commentary can prompt profit-taking and cap upside. Is Costco’s Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Competition: BJ’s expansion into Texas increases regional competition in the warehouse club space, which could pressure market share/pricing in specific markets over time. New BJ’s locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam’s expands to Texas

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were 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 approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.