Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Lowers Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 177,066 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,468 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.9% of Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $176,438,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted 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 worth $8,919,573,000 after buying an additional 26,690 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 4th 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. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,690,000 after buying an additional 6,720,130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on COST. UBS Group increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,205.00 to $1,275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,061.45.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $953.13 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $422.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.94, a PEG ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50 day moving average of $986.93 and a 200-day moving average of $975.26. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco reported strong June sales of $29.24 billion, signaling continued momentum in its core business and supporting the stock’s defensive growth story. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports June Sales Results and Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing resilient traffic and Costco’s defensive positioning despite temporary headwinds, which adds to bullish sentiment around the shares. Analyst Maintains Buy on Costco, Citing Resilient Traffic and Defensive Positioning Despite Transient Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Costco also announced its quarterly cash dividend alongside the sales update, reinforcing its shareholder-return profile. Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports June Sales Results and Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader commentary about Costco as a blue-chip, quality retail name may be helping support investor interest, but it is not a direct company-specific catalyst. 3 Blue-Chip Retail Stocks to Trust as Volatility Favors Quality
• Negative Sentiment: A consumer lawsuit alleging Costco sold Orgain protein supplements contaminated with heavy metals could create some headline risk, though it appears less impactful than the strong sales news. Hagens Berman: Consumer Lawsuit Against Costco Alleges Toxic Heavy Metals in Orgain Protein Supplements

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value 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 trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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.