Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc. Sells 3,590 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 50,540 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 3,590 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.8% of Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $46,009,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after buying an additional 160,893 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 11.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,839,016 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,828,881,000 after acquiring an additional 283,360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $2,362,188,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Mizuho lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 25th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,015.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
• Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,012.28 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $448.57 billion, a PE ratio of 48.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $943.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $970.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.