Retail Giant Costco Raises Dividend By 12%

Costco Wholesale Corp. COST increased its quarterly dividend on Thursday, raising its regular cash payout from $1.16 to $1.30 per share. The proposed increment amounts to a 12% increase in the quarterly dividend.The revised quarterly dividend will amount to $5.20 annually and is scheduled for distribution on May 16, 2025, to shareholders who hold Costco stock as of the close of business on May 2, 2025.Also Read: Target Under Pressure From Discretionary Spend Slowdown, Mounting Inventory Risk, Goldman Sachs Downgrades StockCostco held $12.4 billion in cash and equivalents as of February 16, 2025. Last week, the retailer reported March same-store sales growth of 9.1%, with the U.S. comparable sales of 8.7%.As of now, Costco operates 904 warehouse locations around the world. The bulk of its operations, 623 stores are based in the United States and Puerto Rico.The remainder are spread across markets like Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia, and several other countries.Beyond its physical locations, Costco’s online storefronts serve consumers in major markets such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia.Costco is due to report third-quarter earnings on May 29.Costco Wholesale Stock Prediction For 2025Equity research analysts on and off Wall Street typically use earnings growth and fundamental research as a form of valuation and forecasting. But many in trading turn to technical analysis as a way to form predictive models for share price trajectory.Some investors look to trends to help forecast where they believe a stock could trade at a certain point in the future. Looking at Costco Wholesale, an investor could make an assessment about a stock's long term prospects using a moving average and trend line. If they believe a stock will remain above the moving average, which many believe is a bullish signal, they can extrapolate that trend into the future using a trend line. For Costco Wholesale, the 200-day moving average sits at $924.32, according to Benzinga Pro, which is below the current price of $967.75. For more on charts and trend lines, see a description here.Traders believe that when a stock is above its moving average, it is a generally bullish signal, and when it crosses below, it is a more negative signal. Investors could use trend lines to make an educated guess about where a stock could trade at a later date if conditions remain stable.Price Action: COST shares closed higher by 0.65% at $974 on Thursday.Read Next:March Retail Sales Exceed Forecasts, Analyst Notes Best-Performing SectorsPhoto by Steve Travelguide via ShutterstockThis content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.