Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Bought by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 9,925 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $9,187,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 18.3% in the third quarter. Charter Research & Investment Group Inc. now owns 647 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Whalerock Point Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the third quarter. Whalerock Point Partners LLC now owns 12,948 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $11,985,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 50.6% in the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 628 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $581,000 after buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 31,367 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $29,034,000 after acquiring an additional 9,119 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 978.6% in the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 2,373 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,197,000 after acquiring an additional 2,153 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target to $1,000 (from $990), citing modest same‑store sales and an earnings beat — a near‑term vote of confidence from an influential sell‑side shop. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court action on IEEPA tariffs and FedEx’s statement that it will return any tariff refunds reduces a key cost/uncertainty risk for import‑reliant retailers like Costco. That legal resolution is supportive for margins and inventory planning. FedEx says it will return to customers any refunds it gets back from Trump’s illegal tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: municipal/state approvals for new Costco locations in Lawrence and Southborough signal continued store growth and membership acquisition opportunities in those markets. (Supports long‑term revenue footprint.) A new Costco will be built in Lawrence — the city’s first. Here’s what to know Costco proposal in Southborough earns state approval. What’s next
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and retail‑sector commentary (Zacks, TipRanks, The Motley Fool) highlights Costco as a defensive/quality retail play with a recent valuation reset that some view as a buying opportunity — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Costco and 3 More Discount Retail Stocks Investors Should Watch Now Costco Stock (COST) Is Still a Great Buy after Valuation Reset
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/consumer items (new food‑court menu, expanded brand assortment) support traffic and membership retention but are incremental rather than market moving. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and tariff risks remain a concern per deeper analyses that argue external policy or import disruptions could still pressure margins or force SKU changes — a watch item for investors despite the recent court ruling. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: two class‑action suits over the $4.99 rotisserie chicken could create reputational noise and small legal costs; unlikely to be material to long‑term earnings but a near‑term headline risk. Costco’s $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing 2 Class-Action Lawsuits

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Oppenheimer lifted 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 research note on Thursday, February 5th. HSBC decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $986.74 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 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a 50-day moving average of $945.05 and a 200-day moving average of $935.19. The firm has a market cap of $437.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the business’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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097. 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.