Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Boosts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 240,149 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $224,652,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,523,423 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,212,433,000 after acquiring an additional 107,775 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,488,203,000 after acquiring an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after acquiring an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $956.12 on Thursday. 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 cap of $424.02 billion, a PE ratio of 48.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $946.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $980.63.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Roth Capital raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $769.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, 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 research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-two 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,059.53.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership program is being highlighted as an underappreciated growth engine. Recurring membership fees support profitability and customer loyalty, potentially providing a durable catalyst if renewal rates and membership growth remain strong. Costco Has a Secret Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s partnership with SCAN Health Plan to offer a limited selection of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplemental plans gives the retailer a potential new membership and services opportunity. The near-term financial impact is unclear, but the initiative could broaden Costco’s ecosystem and customer reach. Healthcare CEO partnering with Costco outlines Medicare offerings
• Neutral Sentiment: Golden Reserve Retirement increased its Costco position by 133.9%, purchasing 592 additional shares. The investment signals confidence, but the resulting holding of only 1,034 shares is too small to materially affect Costco’s outlook. Golden Reserve increases Costco position
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-focused articles highlighting savings, popular products and school snacks reinforce Costco’s value proposition, but they do not provide new financial information likely to move the stock. Coverage also reported zero short interest, though the figures appear incomplete or unreliable.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is refunding customers for duties it says were unlawfully collected on certain tariffed goods while fighting a related class-action lawsuit. Refund costs, possible legal liabilities and reputational damage could pressure results, although the refunds may help preserve customer trust. Why Is Costco Refunding Tariff Duties?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% 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 this link. Company 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.