China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys 1,231 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,819 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,231 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.2% of China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Berkeley Capital Partners LLC now owns 612 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $567,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Frisch Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 6.4% during the third quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,061 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $982,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Northern Financial Advisors Inc raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 30.5% in the third quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc now owns 2,087 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,932,000 after buying an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. Northeast Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 37.1% during the third quarter. Northeast Financial Group Inc. now owns 440 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $408,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 25.7% during the 3rd quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 1,724 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,596,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn issued a bullish outlook forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can support investor confidence and buy-side interest. Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Nike’s limited partnership with Costco is generating buzz and resale demand, signaling potential incremental traffic and a marketing win that can boost same-store sales and brand halo. Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
• Positive Sentiment: New consumer services — Costco is rolling out online and app-based custom cake ordering, a small but tangible ecommerce/service expansion that can modestly increase basket spend and convenience. Costco is unveiling online cake ordering and customers say its ‘awesome news’
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media comparisons: several pieces weigh Costco’s steady, membership-driven model versus peers (Target, Walmart) and debate upside potential given current valuation — useful for longer-term positioning but mixed near-term impact. Target vs. Costco: Which Discount Retail Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest report in February appears anomalous (reported large increase but shows zero shares / NaN); no clear evidence of a meaningful short squeeze risk at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Costco dropped a proposed project in Asheville citing regulatory requirements and costs — a sign of localized development friction that could slow planned square-footage growth. Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs
• Negative Sentiment: Product safety and recall issues: Costco faces a class-action alleging salmonella risk from rotisserie chicken and is issuing refunds/recalling certain restaurant gift cards — both create near-term legal/operational noise and potential costs. Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: commentary and trading reports note recent share declines amid a broader market bounce, reflecting investor reassessment of valuation after strong multi-year gains. Costco (COST) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.8%

NASDAQ COST opened at $987.82 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $932.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $934.33. 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 stock has a market cap of $438.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.