Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Purchases 3,617 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Asset Management One increased its Costco stake by 3,617 shares in Q4 to 227,688 shares (about 0.05% of Costco), a position worth roughly $197.6 million that represents 0.5% of the firm's portfolio and is its 26th largest holding.
• Costco beat Q3 expectations with EPS of $4.58 (vs. $4.55 est.) and revenue of $69.6 billion (up 9.2% YoY), and the company raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (annualized $5.88, yield ~0.6%), while several analysts lifted price targets (e.g., JPMorgan $1,110, Mizuho $1,100, UBS $1,175) and MarketBeat shows a "Moderate Buy" consensus.
• Insiders sold a combined 1,580 shares (EVPs Teresa Jones and Claudine Adamo), reducing insider ownership to about 0.10%, while institutional investors own 68.48% of the stock; shares recently traded near $1,000 with a market cap of ~$443.6 billion and a PE of 52.00.

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 227,688 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 3,617 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.5% of Asset Management One Co. Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.05% of Costco Wholesale worth $197,557,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend ~13% to $1.47 (payable May 15; record May 1), a sign of strong cash flow and management confidence that lifted investor sentiment. Costco Raises Its Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Major banks bumped price targets — JPMorgan raised its PT to $1,110 and Mizuho to $1,100 while keeping bullish ratings, signaling analyst conviction in upside vs. current levels. JPMorgan Adjusts PT Mizuho Adjusts PT
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and sales momentum: Costco reported strong March net sales and recent quarterly results that beat expectations, reinforcing growth and margin resilience. Analysts cite that momentum as part of the bull case alongside the dividend move. Bull Case for Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Product exclusives and in-warehouse surprises — Costco continues to roll out exclusive large-format items and even popular fast-food products that drive foot traffic and impulse buys. These merchandising wins help differentiate membership value. Costco Adds Fast-Food Product Exclusive Aussie Product
• Neutral Sentiment: Checkout and store tech improvements (automated pay stations, AI pricing/markdowns) aim to speed throughput and reduce perishables waste; these are positive long-term but will take time to scale. Automated Pay Stations Grocers Use AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: Sam’s Club and BJ’s are making localized gains and Sam’s Club fee moves could reshape pricing among warehouse clubs; this could benefit Costco if it retains perceived value, but it’s an evolving factor. Competitors Gaining Traction Sam's Club Fees
• Negative Sentiment: Fuel sales are elevated (adds revenue/traffic), but analysts warn there’s a caveat around margins and sensitivity to gas price swings; persistent high fuel/traffic volatility could dampen same-store trends. Gas Sales Catch

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $999.89 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $443.60 billion, a PE ratio of 52.00, a P/E/G ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.99. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $995.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $944.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Guggenheim reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.

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