Midwest Professional Planners LTD. Sells 597 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Midwest Professional Planners LTD. decreased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,304 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 597 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.3% of Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Midwest Professional Planners LTD.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,436,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, marking 22 straight years of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash generation. This helped push shares to new highs. Where Will Costco Stock Be In 2028?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive ahead of the company’s May 28 earnings report, with Oppenheimer lifting its price target to $1,160 after strong April sales and the dividend hike. Costco (COST) Stock Gains as Analysts Raise Price Targets Before Quarterly Report
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales reinforced its defensive appeal, with 11.6% comparable sales growth and 18.8% digital sales growth as value-focused shoppers kept buying in bulk. Costco’s April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
• Positive Sentiment: New food-court items, including chicken strips, are generating customer buzz and social media attention that may support traffic and membership loyalty. Forget chicken fingers, Costco quietly adds new food court item
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss whether Costco should split its stock now that shares are above $1,000, but management has not announced any split. Costco’s Stock Keeps Breaking the $1,000 Threshold — Don’t Expect a Stock Split

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,004.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $957.59. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,192.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,049.27.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on 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 owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.