Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. Raises Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,925 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,187,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.8%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $986.74 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $437.98 billion, a PE ratio of 52.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average is $945.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $935.19. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given 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 was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.85%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target to $1,000 (from $990), citing modest same?store sales and an earnings beat — a near?term vote of confidence from an influential sell?side shop. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court action on IEEPA tariffs and FedEx’s statement that it will return any tariff refunds reduces a key cost/uncertainty risk for import?reliant retailers like Costco. That legal resolution is supportive for margins and inventory planning. FedEx says it will return to customers any refunds it gets back from Trump’s illegal tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: municipal/state approvals for new Costco locations in Lawrence and Southborough signal continued store growth and membership acquisition opportunities in those markets. (Supports long?term revenue footprint.) A new Costco will be built in Lawrence — the city’s first. Here’s what to know Costco proposal in Southborough earns state approval. What’s next
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and retail?sector commentary (Zacks, TipRanks, The Motley Fool) highlights Costco as a defensive/quality retail play with a recent valuation reset that some view as a buying opportunity — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Costco and 3 More Discount Retail Stocks Investors Should Watch Now Costco Stock (COST) Is Still a Great Buy after Valuation Reset
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/consumer items (new food?court menu, expanded brand assortment) support traffic and membership retention but are incremental rather than market moving. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and tariff risks remain a concern per deeper analyses that argue external policy or import disruptions could still pressure margins or force SKU changes — a watch item for investors despite the recent court ruling. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: two class?action suits over the $4.99 rotisserie chicken could create reputational noise and small legal costs; unlikely to be material to long?term earnings but a near?term headline risk. Costco’s $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing 2 Class-Action Lawsuits

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

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.