Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group trimmed its Costco stake by 2.0%, selling 21,894 shares and now holding 1,084,425 shares (about 0.24% of the company) worth roughly $935.1 million, making COST its 25th-largest holding.
• Wall Street is broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (22 Buys, 11 Holds, 1 Sell) and an average price target of $1,043.13 following several recent price-target raises.
• Operational momentum: March net sales rose ~11.3% and quarterly results beat expectations (EPS $4.58 vs. $4.55; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% y/y), but the stock is down ~3.3% as investors weigh a premium valuation (PE ~51.9).

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,084,425 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 21,894 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.5% of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.24% of Costco Wholesale worth $935,143,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the third quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,043.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: March sales beat and traffic strength — Costco reported March net sales up ~11.3% to $28.41B with strong comps and digital growth, reinforcing momentum in membership, transactions and fuel-driven traffic. This is the main fundamental bullish catalyst supporting higher estimates for revenue and same-store sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades / price-target raises — Deutsche Bank, Telsey and Wells Fargo raised price targets (Deutsche to $1,104; Telsey to $1,135; Wells Fargo to $1,000), providing analyst support that can underpin upside in the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media/catalyst mentions — Jim Cramer highlighted two operational catalysts (e.g., fuel pricing and other retailer advantages), and viral consumer interest in Costco’s one-ounce gold bars and popular product finds is boosting brand visibility and short-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterates Neutral at $1,000 — the firm reaffirmed a neutral view with a target essentially in line with the stock’s level, suggesting limited near-term upside from that shop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and retail write-ups continue to praise Costco’s long-term thesis — several outlets (The Motley Fool, Zacks, Yahoo lifestyle pieces) published favorable takes on Costco’s moat and product wins; these support sentiment but are longer‑term confirmation rather than immediate catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data shows no meaningful build — reported short interest was effectively zero in the latest snapshot, so short-covering or squeeze dynamics are not a near-term driver. (likely data/formatting artifact)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — several analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha, some sell-side notes) argue Costco’s premium multiple (~50x) is hard to justify, which can cap upside and prompt profit-taking after the sales beat. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Macro / headline-driven risk — broader market weakness (S&P futures reacting to geopolitical headlines) likely weighed on retail and large-cap retailers today and may have triggered sector-wide selling pressure that offset Costco’s positive sales print. Article Title

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, 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 value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This trade represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,538 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,416. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 3.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $998.47 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $995.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $942.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $442.97 billion, a PE ratio of 51.92, a PEG ratio of 4.93 and a beta of 0.99.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.04%.

About Costco Wholesale

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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