Northbridge Financial Group LLC Takes Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Northbridge Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,638 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,413,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 182.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 536,059 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $462,265,000 after acquiring an additional 346,208 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after acquiring an additional 252,453 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $213,362,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on COST. 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Gordon Haskett upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,049.27.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,004.71 and a 200-day moving average of $957.59. 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 cap of $485.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.91, a PEG ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. 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.