MUFG Securities EMEA plc Purchases 31,550 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 371.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 40,038 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 31,550 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $34,526,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $2,781,000. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,081 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,835,000 after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.5% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 140,429 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $121,098,000 after acquiring an additional 27,625 shares during the period. Curtis Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.7% during the fourth quarter. Curtis Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,535 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,911,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $370,140,000 after acquiring an additional 5,937 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco posted strong third-quarter results, with revenue of $70.53 billion topping estimates and same-store sales rising 9.8%, showing that members are still spending on essentials and value-focused purchases.
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline sales were a standout, with Costco’s gas stations setting all-time or record volume levels as drivers sought lower-priced fuel amid elevated energy costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Digital growth and membership strength continued to support results, helping offset margin pressure and reinforcing Costco’s value-driven model.
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets or reiterated bullish ratings, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Bernstein, BTIG, and Morgan Stanley, signaling confidence in Costco’s long-term fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a neutral rating with a $1,000 target, suggesting modest upside but not a strong catalyst for a re-rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco said it will return U.S. tariff refunds to members “in some form,” which may help customer loyalty but does not yet provide a clear financial boost.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS of $4.93 missed consensus by a small margin, and investors appear focused on the earnings shortfall more than the sales beat.
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure from higher costs and a premium valuation have prompted some traders to sell after the report, limiting enthusiasm despite the strong top-line performance.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $956.32 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,007.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $962.48. 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 Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $424.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.73, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.92.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.95 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $70.13 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,125.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday. Finally, Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,056.32.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was 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 directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.