Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Purchases 643 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 240,149 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 643 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned 0.05% of Costco Wholesale worth $224,652,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,388,519 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,919,573,000 after purchasing an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 107,775 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 773,651 shares in the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. UBS Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Citigroup started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $956.12 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $424.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $946.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $980.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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%.

More 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?

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.