MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. Decreases Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. decreased its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 310,223 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 32,181 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $287,139,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of COST. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,499,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $15,640,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 43.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $21,700,000 after purchasing an additional 7,116 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $1,001.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $978.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $937.45. The stock has a market cap of $444.42 billion, a PE ratio of 52.09, a P/E/G ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The firm had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.02 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its tone on Costco following recent fiscal results and increased its price target, signaling confidence in Costco’s topline momentum and membership-driven margins — a catalyst for continued investor interest. JPMorgan Bullish on Costco Wholesale (COST) Following Fiscal Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several long-form pieces argue Costco still has durable growth and premium membership economics that could support large market-cap expansion over the next several years — a bullish narrative for buy-and-hold investors. Will Costco Wholesale Stock Join the Trillion-Dollar Club by 2030?
• Positive Sentiment: Comparisons with other defensive, wide-moat consumer names (e.g., Coca‑Cola) and lists recommending Costco as a buy-and-hold reinforce steady demand from long-term investors and support multiple expansion. Best Stock to Buy and Hold Forever: Costco vs. Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat and others continue to flag COST as a potential stock-split candidate given its >$1,000 price — a split could broaden retail demand and improve liquidity if announced. 3 Stocks That Could Be Next to Announce a Stock Split
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and screeners (Zacks, InsiderMonkey) have featured COST as a quality retail pick; useful for sentiment but less likely to move the stock materially by themselves. Beat the Market the Zacks Way: IPG Photonics, Celanese, Costco in Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Small operational/product updates (e.g., online custom cake ordering) and minor portfolio moves by advisers are low-impact items that support convenience and steady sales but won’t change fundamentals. Costco now lets you order custom cakes online — here’s how it works
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued recalls for prepared meatloaf meals over potential Salmonella contamination (multiple local health alerts and national notices). Recalls can depress short‑term foot traffic, raise remediation costs, and attract negative media — a near‑term drag on sentiment. Costco recalls prepared meatloaf meals over possible Salmonella risk
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive improvements at Sam’s Club (fixing pain points that have favored Costco) are being highlighted in the press — any persistent market-share shift or promotional aggression could pressure margins or membership momentum. Sam’s Club fixes problem that’s a major pain point at Costco

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Evercore set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

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.