Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Trims Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 182,570 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,804 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.8% of Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $168,760,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% during the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth about $48,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Costco to report strong fiscal Q2 results, with previews calling for double-digit profit growth — investors view this as confirmation of resilient demand and margin stability. Earnings Preview: What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Report
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish analyst pieces argue Costco remains a buy for 2026 and beyond, emphasizing membership retention, steady sales/profit growth and defensive consumer-staples characteristics. This supportive coverage helps underpin the rally. Is Costco Stock a Buy in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership perks continue to be a strategic growth lever — coverage highlights a past controversial perk and four new 2026 benefits aimed at boosting member value and retention, which supports long-term revenue visibility. Costco Introduced a Controversial Perk Last Year — and It Plans to Follow This Up With 4 New Benefits in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/UX improvements: reporting says Costco is adopting a tech upgrade used by competitors to improve the member experience — a potential driver of basket size and visit frequency. Costco borrows tech upgrade from competitor to boost member experience
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail buzz and product-level popularity (popular Costco finds, wholesale flowers) are helping brand engagement but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially in the near term. ‘I’ve Been Using This Stuff Every Day For About 2 Years’
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading/technical interest: a pattern-trade roundup lists Costco as a top seasonal idea (speculative short‑term upside), which can attract momentum traders but isn’t a fundamental endorsement. 5 Best Pattern Trades for This Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes: Seeking Alpha published pieces urging caution or a sell-the-rally stance, arguing the strong start may be short‑lived — these raise concerns about near-term momentum and give some investors reason to lock in gains. Costco: Strong Start To 2026 Likely Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions: coverage assessing Costco’s rich P/E highlights risk that upside is limited unless earnings justify the premium — a key watch for longer‑term investors. Assessing Whether Costco Wholesale (COST) Deserves Its Rich P/E
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider activity: a disclosed sale of 458 shares by an executive may be viewed as a small negative signal, though the sale size is immaterial relative to the company’s scale. Susan Decker Sells 458 Shares of Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $983.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $436.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.66, a P/E/G ratio of 5.85 and a beta of 1.02. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $900.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $930.20. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Gordon Haskett reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

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.