Florida Trust Wealth Management Co Grows Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Florida Trust Wealth Management Co grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,404 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,287 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.2% of Florida Trust Wealth Management Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $45,190,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ethos Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.2% in the fourth quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC now owns 2,932 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,528,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Nvwm LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 25.0% during the fourth quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 4,339 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,742,000 after acquiring an additional 867 shares during the last quarter. Invesco LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Invesco LLC now owns 9,673 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,341,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Lazari Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. Lazari Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,856 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,601,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. Finally, eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a bullish view on Costco and highlighted a long-term growth runway, which helped lift the stock as investors price in durable membership-driven growth. Costco Stock Pops as Analyst Flags Growth Runway
• Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support continues: Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform rating, reinforcing buy-side confidence and possibly supporting multiple expansion. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity: a top executive executed a notable share purchase, which investors often view as management confidence in near-term fundamentals. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is pushing standalone gas stations in high-fuel-cost markets and opened a Manitoba Business Centre — moves that enhance value perception and broaden B2B revenue channels. Will Costco’s Gas and Business Centre Refine Its Value Narrative?
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed processing and reduce friction; potential margin benefits are longer-term and execution-dependent. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context and consumer interest pieces (product roundups, bakery comparisons) keep the brand top-of-mind but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. I’ve worked at Costco for 20 years
• Negative Sentiment: Value-price competition is heating up: Sam’s Club raised membership fees and grocery chains are cutting prices, which could intensify a margin squeeze across the sector; analysts suggest membership-price moves at competitors may pressure Costco to respond strategically. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, HSBC cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a PE ratio of 52.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $989.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $940.51. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

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.