AIA Group Ltd Purchases 4,079 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• AIA Group increased its Costco stake by 22.9% in the third quarter, buying 4,079 shares to hold 21,895 shares valued at about $19.9 million.
• Costco’s quarterly results topped forecasts: earnings were $6.75 per share versus $6.54 expected, while revenue reached $95.72 billion, up 11.1% year over year.
• Analysts have a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,086.19; Costco also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share.

AIA Group Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 22.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 21,895 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 4,079 shares during the period. AIA Group Ltd's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $19,932,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 691.7% in the third quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,821 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,658,000 after purchasing an additional 1,591 shares during the period. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 6.9% during the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 296 shares of the retailer's stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,883,000. Fischer Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fischer Financial Services Inc. now owns 8,093 shares of the retailer's stock worth $7,366,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Putney Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC now owns 2,704 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,462,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,019.26 on Wednesday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $946.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $971.09. The company has a market cap of $451.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.88, a PEG ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s DoorDash and Uber Eats expansion could add sales, reach younger shoppers and support digital growth without reducing warehouse traffic. Read article
• Positive Sentiment: Costco received approval for a new store at Seacoast Landing in Newington, New Hampshire, with a 2027 opening targeted—supporting longer-term expansion. Read article
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary presents Costco as a durable blue-chip investment and highlights its ability to introduce appealing products, including a coffee offering tied to an emerging trend. These are supportive long-term views, not new financial guidance. Read article Read article
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles discuss whether Costco could split its shares in 2027 because the price is above $1,000. A split could improve share accessibility but would not change the company’s underlying value, and no split has been announced. Read article
• Negative Sentiment: ETFs were reported as net sellers of about $75.6 million in COST shares on Oct. 29, which may have contributed to selling pressure; this is backward-looking and does not establish the cause of the latest decline. Read article

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,160.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,086.19.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.