Norinchukin Bank The Boosts Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Norinchukin Bank The lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 73,951 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,052 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 0.9% of Norinchukin Bank The’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Norinchukin Bank The’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $68,451,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Numerai GP LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 110.0% during the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 12,719 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $11,773,000 after purchasing an additional 6,662 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 399,894 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $370,140,000 after buying an additional 5,937 shares during the last quarter. Maxele Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $1,249,000. Mairs & Power Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the third quarter. Mairs & Power Inc. now owns 3,221 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,981,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Services lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 945 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $875,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland private-label strength is being highlighted as a growing competitive moat for Costco — the brand boosts margins, differentiates the value proposition for members, and reduces price sensitivity, supporting long-term same-store sales and loyalty. How Kirkland Quietly Became Costco’s Most Powerful Moat
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is piloting faster checkout technology that could reduce in-store friction, lower labor costs per transaction, and increase throughput — a potential near-term boost to store productivity and member satisfaction. Costco’s New Checkout Tech Could Get You Out The Door In Just Seconds
• Positive Sentiment: Costco will lower the cost of certain fertility drugs in New Jersey through its pharmacy program — a targeted healthcare/pricing initiative that can drive foot traffic, pharmacy volumes and goodwill (modest margin impact but positive for membership value). Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
• Positive Sentiment: High share price and sustained outperformance have put Costco on lists of potential stock-split candidates — talk of a split can buoy retail demand and reduce psychological barriers to buying at high nominal prices. 3 Stocks That Could Be Next to Announce a Stock Split
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investment pieces continue to profile Costco as a long-term buy-and-hold name vs. peers (e.g., comparisons to Coca‑Cola and lists of top retail holdings). These reinforce bullish narratives but don’t materially change near-term fundamentals. Best Stock to Buy and Hold Forever: Costco vs. Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Negotiations to site a new Asheville, NC Costco appear to have re-engaged — a potential local expansion that could add incremental sales over time but is still early-stage. Is Asheville Costco still possible? Store ‘reengages’ in negotiations
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has recalled prepared meatloaf meal kits and warned consumers after potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states. Food-safety recalls can hit short-term sales in affected categories, raise inspection/compliance costs, and create reputational risk if issues widen. Costco recalls prepared meatloaf meals over possible Salmonella risk

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of COST opened at $1,001.74 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $444.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.09, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $978.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $937.45. 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 (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

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.