Marietta Wealth Management LLC Has $13.39 Million Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Marietta Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,527 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 560 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.5% of Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Marietta Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,390,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third 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. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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 business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,003.70 on Thursday. The stock 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 has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The business’s 50 day moving average is $996.95 and its 200 day moving average is $946.64.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast 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. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Bank of America began coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective for the company. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,045.97.

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.