Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 955,800 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,682 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.6% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.22% of Costco Wholesale worth $884,684,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on COST shares. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target to $1,000 (from $990), maintaining a Neutral rating but highlighting modest upside after recent same-store sales and earnings beats — a catalyst for supportive analyst flows and buyer interest. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Costco is adding more big brands and lowering prices suggest renewed merchandising leverage that can drive traffic, membership retention and same-store sales. Costco adds more big brands and lowers prices
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion news — a new Costco store is slated to open in Lawrence later this year — supports long-term unit growth and membership base expansion. New Costco store set to open in Lawrence later this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is expected to announce earnings on Thursday — an event that can produce short-term volatility depending on guidance and membership trends. Traders are positioning ahead of the print. Costco Wholesale (COST) Expected to Announce Earnings on Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Product and food-court headlines (new mint/chocolate sundae treat) and supplier ranging wins (Pure Foods Tasmania securing Costco distribution) are positive for traffic/merchandise momentum but are limited as near-term earnings drivers. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds Pure Foods Tasmania lifts Easter sales and secures Costco ranging in revenue push
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: analysis pieces argue Costco is a great business but currently priced for perfection (high P/E), which can limit multiple expansion and make the stock sensitive to any earnings miss. Costco: Fantastic Company, Unreasonable Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/tariff risks remain a recurring theme in coverage — persistent tariff uncertainty and consolidation risk could pressure margins or supply chains. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Two class-action lawsuits targeting Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken surfaced — legal/PR issues that are unlikely to be material financially but could attract negative headlines. Costco’s $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing 2 Class-Action Lawsuits

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $994.76 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $942.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $934.83. The stock has a market cap of $441.54 billion, a PE ratio of 53.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. 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 earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.