48,319 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Posted by Geri Gentry on Nov 1st, 2026

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,032,165 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 48,319 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.5% of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $939,621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter worth about $32,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,534,244.62. This represents a 23.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,012.28 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $448.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.33 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $943.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $970.25.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 28.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research reports. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. CICC Research initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,050.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,086.19.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Costco Wholesale

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

Positive Sentiment: Store expansion supports long-term growth. Costco plans to open 13 locations by the end of 2026, potentially expanding its membership base and sales footprint. Costco opening 13 locations by end of 2026
Positive Sentiment: Membership acquisition remains a focus. A promotional offer providing new members with a $45 gift card could help drive sign-ups ahead of the holiday shopping season, supporting recurring membership-fee revenue. Costco membership Black Friday deal
Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect continued earnings momentum. Costco’s upcoming fiscal first-quarter 2027 report is expected to show double-digit year-over-year EPS growth. Its latest quarter also beat consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue. What to expect from Costco Wholesale’s next quarterly earnings report
Positive Sentiment: Customer loyalty and digital engagement remain strengths. Coverage highlights near-record renewal rates, busy warehouses, a younger shopper base and growing use of Costco’s digital channels. These factors reinforce the company’s competitive advantages and long-term sales potential. The New Costco Shopper Is Under 40
Neutral Sentiment: Healthcare partnerships could deepen member engagement. Integrations with NationsBenefits and SCAN Health Plan are expanding Costco’s role in Medicare-related spending across more than 600 U.S. warehouses, though the financial contribution is not yet clear. Medicare push and Costco investors
Negative Sentiment: Valuation leaves little room for disappointment. Costco trades at roughly 49 times earnings, making execution and upcoming results especially important. Analysts remain positive, but the stock’s premium valuation could amplify downside if growth slows. Costco stock’s long-term competitive advantages

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Free Report)

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells merchandise in bulk and at competitive prices through warehouse clubs and e-commerce platforms, serving individual consumers, businesses and other organizations.

Its product selection includes groceries and fresh foods, household supplies, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, health and beauty products, jewelry, automotive products and prescription drugs. Costco also provides services such as optical care, pharmacy services, hearing-aid sales, travel offerings and fuel sales, depending on location.

The company traces its roots to Price Club, which opened in San Diego in 1976.