Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• Mirae Asset Global Investments increased its stake in Costco by 19% in Q4, purchasing 34,906 shares to hold 218,393 shares worth about $188.33 million, making Costco roughly 0.5% of the fund's holdings and its 29th-largest position.
• Costco raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88, ~0.6% yield), payable May 15 with a record date of May 1, signaling strong cash flow and management confidence.
• Q results and analyst view: Costco beat estimates with EPS of $4.58 vs. $4.55 and revenue of $69.6B (up 9.2% y/y), and the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a $1,044.30 target.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 19.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 218,393 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 34,906 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.5% of Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $188,329,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Busey Bank increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the third quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,299,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $916,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Optima Capital LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,104,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,399 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,295,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,044.30.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $987.21 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08. The company has a market cap of $437.98 billion, a PE ratio of 51.34, a PEG ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 0.99. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $995.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $944.13.

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

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raises quarterly dividend to $1.47 (annualized $5.88), signaling strong cash flow and executive confidence; ex-dividend/record dates set and investors reacted favorably. Costco announces dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target to $1,100 and maintained an Outperform rating, giving an upside view that supports buying interest. Mizuho increases price target
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group and Wells Fargo have also lifted targets or reiterated positive views, underscoring steady execution and supporting momentum in the stock. Telsey and Wells Fargo raise targets
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion and product moves — a new store format planned for the west side of a major metroplex and exclusive product rollouts (e.g., Aussie Miracle Curls jumbo pack) highlight growth and differentiated merchandising. New store format for Metroplex
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and checks show Costco “selling a lot of gas,” which boosts transaction counts and basket sizes — but commentary notes a “catch” (durability/price sensitivity of gas-driven traffic) that makes the benefit uneven. Gas sales boost but with caveat
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note Costco’s Japan expansion and membership model as durable long-term positives, but these are longer-horizon drivers rather than immediate catalysts. Japan growth story
• Negative Sentiment: Local competition — reports that Sam’s Club and BJ’s are gaining traction in some markets — could pressure share gains in contested trade areas and is a watch item for market-share risk. Competitors gaining traction

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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.

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