Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.

Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 50,791 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,861 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.6% of Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Tandem Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $43,799,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd 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 acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Roth Mkm reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,104.00 to $1,106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Mizuho increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,192.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,052.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,028.24 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $1,008.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $960.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $456.18 billion, a PE ratio of 53.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. 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 the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.