Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan Grows Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.1% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 158,416 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $148,193,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director directly owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. The trade was a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $910.18 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $942.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $976.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $403.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were issued 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 currently 29.58%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fourth-quarter sales: Costco reported fourth-quarter net sales of $93.9 billion, up 11.3% year over year. Digitally enabled comparable sales increased 19.5%, suggesting e-commerce and omnichannel initiatives remain important growth drivers. Costco’s Q4 Sales Rise 11.3% as Digital Momentum Remains Strong
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Broker raised Costco from “hold” to “buy” and established a $1,030 price target, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. However, the upgrade has not yet overcome broader selling pressure. Costco Stock Falls Despite Freedom Broker Upgrade to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Returns and liquidation operations: Reports that Costco resells some returned merchandise through liquidation and B-stock auctions provide additional context on its inventory practices. The activity appears operational rather than a major new earnings catalyst, although it may help recover value from returned goods. How Costco Resells Items Returned Under Its Satisfaction Guarantee Policy
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation and competitive concerns: Costco’s recent underperformance has renewed debate over whether its high valuation is justified. Jim Cramer argued that the retailer may have lost some of its edge, while other commentary points to competition from discount stores. With a price-to-earnings ratio above 45, investors may be particularly sensitive to any slowdown in growth or membership appeal. Cramer Warns Costco May Have Lost Its Edge
• Negative Sentiment: Supplier bankruptcy headline: The loss of a Costco distribution deal contributed to a beverage brand’s Chapter 11 filing. This is not a direct financial threat to Costco, but it highlights vendor and product-selection risks within its merchandise ecosystem. Loss of Costco Deal Helps Push Beverage Brand Into Chapter 11

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on COST. Weiss Ratings cut Costco Wholesale from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,091.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,110.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,088.00 to $1,159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.03.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally competitive prices. Its product range includes groceries, fresh foods, apparel, appliances, electronics, furniture, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal goods, along with private-label products sold under the Kirkland Signature brand.

The company also provides a variety of ancillary services, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical centers, hearing-aid centers, food courts, tire centers, and travel services.