GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Decreases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,381 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 527 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,952,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,499,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $874,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after purchasing an additional 7,116 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,781,000. Finally, Curtis Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% in the 4th quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (payable May 15; record May 1), a sign of strong cash flow and management confidence that lifted investor sentiment. Costco Raises Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Major banks bumped price targets — JPMorgan raised its PT to $1,110 and Mizuho to $1,100 while keeping bullish ratings, signaling analyst conviction in upside vs. current levels. JPMorgan Adjusts PT Mizuho Adjusts PT
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and sales momentum: Costco reported strong March net sales and recent quarterly results that beat expectations, reinforcing growth and margin resilience. Analysts cite that momentum as part of the bull case alongside the dividend move. Bull Case for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Product exclusives and in-warehouse surprises — Costco continues to roll out exclusive large-format items and even popular fast-food products that drive foot traffic and impulse buys. These merchandising wins help differentiate membership value. Costco Adds Fast-Food Product Exclusive Aussie Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Checkout and store tech improvements (automated pay stations, AI pricing/markdowns) aim to speed throughput and reduce perishables waste; these are positive long-term but will take time to scale. Automated Pay Stations Grocers Use AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Sam’s Club and BJ’s are making localized gains and Sam’s Club fee moves could reshape pricing among warehouse clubs; this could benefit Costco if it retains perceived value, but it’s an evolving factor. Competitors Gaining Traction Sam’s Club Fees
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel sales are elevated (adds revenue/traffic), but analysts warn there’s a caveat around margins and sensitivity to gas price swings; persistent high fuel/traffic volatility could dampen same-store trends. Gas Sales Catch

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $999.89 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $443.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $995.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $944.84.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.02 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,115.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,045.97.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.