AIA Group Ltd Boosts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

AIA Group Ltd raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 31.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,322 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,345 shares during the quarter. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $20,662,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock worth $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on COST. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Gordon Haskett increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $974.78 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.46 billion, a PE ratio of 50.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The business’s 50-day moving average is $983.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $938.37. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. 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 company 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 company posted $4.02 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: New Kirkland Signature product launches and continued private-label innovation should support traffic and margins. Costco adds Kirkland Signature items. See what’s new
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion into standalone fuel sites (first standalone gas station opening by late June) expands convenience offerings and non-dues revenue, a potential long-term win vs. c-store rivals. Costco’s first standalone gas station to open by late June
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish write-ups argue Costco deserves a premium multiple given its business model, pricing power, membership loyalty and long-term growth runway — supportive for sentiment among buy-and-hold investors. 3 Reasons Costco Stock Deserves to Trade at a Sky-High Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s “winning the price war” narrative reinforces defensive/consumer-staples demand during inflationary periods. Costco proves it’s winning the price war
• Neutral Sentiment: A TipRanks piece balances upside (~11% noted) with worries about the future of physical retail — may keep some investors cautious but doesn’t change revenue fundamentals immediately. Costco Stock Forecast: Can COST Keep Up amid Worries about the Future of Retail Stores?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/features asking “Is it too late to buy?” reflect the stock’s rich multi-year gains and high valuation — ongoing debate that can limit fresh inflows until clearer catalysts appear. Is It Too Late To Consider Costco Wholesale (COST) After Strong Multi Year Share Gains?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data shows no meaningful short position / days-to-cover change, so short-pressure is not a driver of today’s move. (Entry data provided internally.)
• Negative Sentiment: A small product recall (meatloaf meal) and press around potential membership price increases could create short-term sales or PR noise and give cautious traders a reason to trim positions. Costco Recalls Meatloaf Meal Over Possible Salmonella Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/competitive risks — reports on tariff moves, energy-price volatility and aggressive promotions from peers (e.g., Target) raise concerns about margin pressure and cost passthrough, which can depress sentiment for retail stocks including COST. Trump tariffs live updates

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.