Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Purchases 50,356 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management increased its stake in Costco by 5.3%, adding 50,356 shares to hold 1,006,156 shares (about 0.23% of the company), a position valued at roughly $859.9 million and the firm's 26th largest holding.
• Costco fundamentals and outlook: the retailer beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates (EPS $4.58; revenue $69.6B, +9.2% YoY), analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $1,045.97 target, and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 ($5.88 annualized; 0.6% yield).

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,006,156 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 50,356 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.6% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.23% of Costco Wholesale worth $859,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,620,717 shares of the retailer's stock worth $37,615,889,000 after buying an additional 165,349 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,145,241 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,911,331,000 after acquiring an additional 34,826 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,619,703 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,499,246,000 after acquiring an additional 127,495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,210,837 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,120,787,000 after acquiring an additional 8,259 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Construction is set to begin on Costco’s first Milwaukee County warehouse after a land deal closed, signaling incremental store growth and membership reach in a new local market. Construction starts soon on Costco's first Milwaukee County store after land deal
• Positive Sentiment: Costco opened a Camarillo gas station ahead of a planned warehouse, accelerating fuel sales and customer acquisition in that trade area. Fuel operations typically boost basket size and traffic. Costco opens Camarillo gas station ahead of warehouse construction
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note Costco’s strong balance sheet (large liquid assets, low debt) and plans for roughly 28 new warehouses, while membership fees rose ~13.6%—a direct revenue lever and evidence of pricing/power. Why Costco's Financial Strength Could Outpace Retail Challenges
• Positive Sentiment: Foot-traffic data show Costco stores are materially busier over several years (visits +18% vs. 2019), supporting same-store sales resilience versus flatter traffic at Walmart/Target. It's not in your head: Costco has gotten more crowded
• Positive Sentiment: New brand additions—Korea’s Medicube skincare entering US retail via Costco (and Walmart)—expand product mix and could attract higher-margin beauty/skincare sales. Korea’s Medicube skincare to hit Walmart, Costco in US expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Roundups of new groceries hitting shelves highlight ongoing product refreshes that support traffic but are routine for Costco’s model. The Best New Costco Groceries Hitting Shelves This Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco tweaked its long-running $1.50 hot dog combo; a small operational/PR note that could affect customer sentiment but has limited financial impact. Costco just changed its famous $1.50 hot dog combo. Here’s what’s new
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry pieces comparing big-box performance (Walmart, Target, Costco) provide context that Target has led YTD gains—useful for relative-valuation and allocation decisions but not company-specific news. Which Big-Box Store Chain Has Dominated 2026: Walmart, Target, or Costco?
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyst pieces (Costco vs. Walmart) reassess trade-offs—useful for long-term positioning but not catalytic near-term. Costco vs. Walmart: What's the Better Consumer Staples Buy Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation cautions: some analysts say COST’s strong fundamentals are already priced in (high P/E), making it harder to justify new purchases at current levels—this can limit near-term upside. Costco (COST) Is Hard Not to Love. Buying It Right Now Is Harder

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a "buy" rating and a $1,185.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,045.97.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $1,016.42 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $450.93 billion, a PE ratio of 52.86, a P/E/G ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $997.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $950.47.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.32 EPS for the current 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 given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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