Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Has $1.01 Billion Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,080,484 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 30,491 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.6% of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,010,760,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 8,502 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,416,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on COST. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $977.00 to $1,011.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,120.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Bank of America raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,185.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,192.00 to $1,194.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,059.53.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco plans to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with nonprofit insurer SCAN Group, initially in two states pending regulatory approval. The offerings may eventually include pharmacy, vision, hearing and over-the-counter benefits, potentially increasing member engagement and monetization. Costco launching Medicare Advantage plans with SCAN Group
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to highlight Costco’s Executive membership growth, digital sales conversion and rising fee income as evidence that the company is extracting more value from its membership base. Costco also retains broadly favorable analyst coverage, with a consensus view around “Moderate Buy.” Can Costco Stock Reach New Highs in Member Monetization?
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco brought back a popular Kirkland product discontinued two years ago. The move may support customer goodwill and traffic, but it is unlikely to materially affect earnings or valuation. Costco discontinued this Kirkland favorite 2 years ago. Now it’s back
• Negative Sentiment: Despite a 121% five-year total return, Costco’s valuation remains a concern. Its elevated earnings multiple leaves less room for disappointment, particularly after the latest quarterly EPS slightly missed estimates, even though revenue exceeded expectations. Costco Stock Looks Fully Priced Despite 121% Returns And Earnings Questions

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $961.35 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $949.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $981.20. The company has a market cap of $426.34 billion, a PE ratio of 48.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 0.87. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 29.58%.

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.