Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Ayrshire Capital Management LLC

Ayrshire Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,083 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 534 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 3.2% of Ayrshire Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Ayrshire Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,971,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hurley Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

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 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 owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,014.38 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $450.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $997.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $947.11. 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 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be given a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, February 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion — Haltom City won a Costco Business Center with an attached fuel station, signaling continued footprint growth and fuel-margin revenue opportunities in a new market. Haltom City lands Costco Business Center, fuel station in major economic win
• Positive Sentiment: New store momentum — A Pensacola Costco has a tentative opening date, underscoring steady unit growth that supports longer-term sales and membership expansion. Pensacola’s Costco has an opening date. Sort of.
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic rollout — Costco says it aims to open dozens more warehouses in the coming years, a clear growth plan that supports revenue and membership metrics. Expansion cadence is a direct driver of sales growth. Costco aims for dozens more warehouses in coming years: Here’s when the newest open
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder return — The board approved a ~13% quarterly dividend increase to $1.47 per share, raising the annualized payout and making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. Costco (COST) Approves Quarterly Dividend Increase Amid Robust Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Investor bullishness — Analysis pieces argue that Costco remains a sector leader and that buying on recent pullbacks could be compelling for long-term investors, supporting demand for the stock. With Costco Down 7% From Its All-Time High, Could Buying Now Set You Up for Life?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context — Coverage notes COST outperformed a weak market session, reflecting defensive demand but not changing fundamentals. Short-term price action may be tied to market rotation rather than new company catalysts. Costco (COST) Ascends While Market Falls: Some Facts to Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion — Several analyst/opinion pieces question whether COST is “too expensive” near $1,000 a share despite strong fundamentals; valuation concerns could temper further rapid upside. Is Costco’s Stock Too Expensive Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Rising competition — BJ’s Wholesale Club is expanding in Texas with new locations and low gas prices, representing localized competitive pressure that could affect membership and fuel margins in those markets. New BJ’s locations Texas: Club rivaling Costco, Sam’s expands to Texas

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.