Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Acquired by Mufg Securities Americas Inc.

Mufg Securities Americas Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 21.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 11,959 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,126 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.7% of Mufg Securities Americas Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Mufg Securities Americas Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,070,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Optima Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

More Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broad-based comparable-sales strength across the U.S., Canada and international markets — traffic, higher tickets and digital sales are driving momentum. Why Costco’s Comparable Sales Strength Looks Broad-Based Globally
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts collectively rate COST as an average “Moderate Buy,” which supports near-term demand for shares from institutional buyers. Costco Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: Articles highlight Costco’s stable profits and resilient supermarket-style business model, reinforcing its defensive, cash-generating profile. Costco: Supermarket Giant With Stable Profits
• Positive Sentiment: Tariff-rollbacks may be a tailwind for margins/pricing on imported goods — a cited near-term benefit for Costco’s cost structure. Costco: A Tariff-Rollback Winner, But No Longer On Sale
• Positive Sentiment: Retail buzz (viral food-court dessert) can boost foot traffic and member engagement, a small but relevant driver for same-store sales. Costco’s New $3 Food Court Dessert Is Going Viral
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher investor search/interest in COST signals attention but not direction — watch flows and news catalysts. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Mentions by high-profile commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) keep the name in public view; helpful for retail interest but not a fundamental catalyst. Jim Cramer Looks Back On Costco’s Share Price Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with Sam’s Club/Walmart highlight competitive context; price positioning remains a watch item but not a new risk. We compared Costco and Sam’s Club prices on store brand products
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concern: several pieces warn COST’s strong run has driven a high P/E (~52–53), raising the risk that future returns depend on continued execution and comp strength. Costco Stock Is Soaring, but Is It Getting Ahead of Itself?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators argue Costco’s premium valuation and ubiquity limit upside for new investors — a caution for long-term entrants at current levels. 1 Reason I Haven’t Bought Costco Stock — and Probably Never Will
• Negative Sentiment: Member-facing policy changes or rules that frustrate long-term members could be a minor retention risk if they scale. Costco rule may frustrate some members

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $986.02 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $937.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $934.29. The company has a market cap of $437.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.81, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

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.