Prospera Financial Services Inc Boosts Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,823 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,373 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $23,149,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 18 shares during 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 purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,028.24 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,007.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $960.13. The stock has a market cap of $456.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.47, a PEG ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was 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 yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco remains a top momentum and growth name, with multiple recent pieces highlighting strong long-term performance and continued investor interest as the shares trade near record levels. Why Costco (COST) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation about a possible stock split has intensified after Costco broke back above the $1,000 share-price milestone, which can boost sentiment by making the stock seem more accessible to retail investors. Costco Stock Split Rumors Explode as COST Smashes $1,000 Milestone Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market coverage continue to point to Costco’s solid operating momentum and long-term return profile, reinforcing the view that the business is executing well even after a big run-up. A Look At Costco Wholesale (COST) Valuation As Shares Trade Near Recent Highs
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is expanding its footprint, including rezoning and land purchase activity for new locations, which supports long-term growth but is not likely to move the stock much on its own. New details emerge in proposed north Macon Costco project
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is also seeing incremental membership-related promotion and seasonal deal coverage, which may help traffic but appears too small to materially affect the share price near term. This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 – here’s how to get it
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term pressure is coming from valuation concerns: several articles note that Costco’s stock is already priced for strong execution, leaving little room for disappointment after the recent rally. Costco Q3 Earnings Preview: Great Business With Limited Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Costco also traded lower in sympathy with Walmart after Walmart’s earnings and guidance disappointed investors, sparking broader concern about the consumer-retail backdrop. Costco Stock Dips After Walmart’s Q1 Report: What’s Going On?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing headlines around tariff refunds and a tax dispute in Japan, adding some legal and regulatory noise, though these issues do not appear to be the main driver of today’s move. Costco suit highlights gaps in $166B tariff refund process

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on COST. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. 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. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,052.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by 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.