Dillon & Associates Inc. Increases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Dillon & Associates Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 19.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 13,658 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,230 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.5% of Dillon & Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Dillon & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,773,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Costco’s AI and digital investments as a driver of faster sales growth, especially through stronger e-commerce traffic and app personalization that could support long-term revenue gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles frame Costco as a “recession-proof” dividend stock and a long-term hold, pointing to its membership model, steady cash generation, and history of dividend increases as reasons investors continue to favor the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage suggests Wall Street expects another solid quarter, and options traders are pricing in a meaningful move around the report, which often keeps the stock active ahead of results.
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer remains upbeat on Costco, reinforcing investor confidence in the retailer’s durable business model and consistent execution.
• Neutral Sentiment: Holiday-related coverage about Memorial Day store hours and shopping deals is mainly informational, but it keeps Costco in the consumer spotlight heading into a busy retail period.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lifestyle stories about Costco products and shopping behavior are not likely to move the stock materially, though they underscore the company’s strong brand engagement and customer interest.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,028.24 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,008.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $960.97. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $456.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.47, a PEG ratio of 5.06 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) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is an increase 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 currently 30.58%.

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.