L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP Has $21.24 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,630 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,496 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.3% of L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $21,239,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Busey Bank increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the third quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the third quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Optima Capital LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,399 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,295,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,005.81 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $446.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.30, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.99. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $996.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $946.24.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company-wide expansion: Costco is targeting roughly 30 new warehouses per year to relieve overcrowding, expand member reach and drive long‑term sales growth. This accelerates capital deployment but supports higher unit volumes and membership growth. Costco plans major growth push, targeting 30 new locations annually
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion example: A new Costco is planned for northeast Edmonton, underlining the company’s ongoing footprint growth in key markets and steady membership acquisition in Canada. A new Costco location is in the works for northeast Edmonton
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by ~13%, signaling strong free cash flow and management confidence—this can attract income‑oriented investors and provide support to the stock’s valuation. As Costco Raises Its Dividend More Than 13%, Should You Buy, Sell, or Hold COST Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Digital sales momentum: Costco’s digital investments are lifting sales and digitally enabled comps are rising, driven by app growth, personalization and faster‑checkout pilots—supporting higher same‑store sales and lower friction for members. Costco’s Digital Investments Drive Sales Growth: What Comes Next?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment: At least one outlet reports a raised price target (to $1,110), which can bolster investor sentiment and serve as a bullish reference point for momentum traders. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Price Target Raised to $1,110.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation perspective: Some analysts note that Costco’s steady compounding growth is well priced into the stock, signaling limited upside unless growth accelerates or margins expand. This is a reminder to weigh valuation vs. growth. Costco: When Compounding Is Already Priced In
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context: Retail peers (Walmart, Target, Dollar General) are also investing in stores and omnichannel, which could influence market share dynamics—monitor execution and margin impacts across the sector. Walmart Expands and Modernizes Stores to Support Omnichannel Growth

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Gordon Haskett increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $926.00 to $977.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus 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 firm’s 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 transaction 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.