Calamos Wealth Management LLC Grows Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Calamos Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 25.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,226 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,666 shares during the period. Calamos Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,614,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 418,980.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 2,359,422 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,335,686,000 after purchasing an additional 2,358,859 shares during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,328 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in 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, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Argus raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $992.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total transaction of $2,526,336.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,410,343.68. This represents a 28.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 6,339 shares of company stock valued at $5,916,642. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks reports strong traffic gains and rising digital engagement, reinforcing Costco’s value/membership-driven model and supporting durable revenue growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northcoast says Costco’s global expansion is gaining momentum — a tailwind for long-term store-level sales and membership growth outside the U.S. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: 247WallSt publishes a bullish take arguing Costco could surge and even split its stock in 2026, which can attract momentum investors and spark speculative buying. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/deal coverage highlights a discounted membership offer (digital Shop Card for new Gold Star sign-ups) that could modestly boost new-member adds in the near term. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and derivatives-focused pieces note increased trading strategies around COST (buying leveraged upside via spreads), signaling active trader interest but not a directional fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Morning‑read pieces (The Motley Fool / Yahoo guides) reiterate Costco’s steady business model: memberships drive profitability and slow, consistent comp growth is the core thesis — helpful context for buy-and-hold investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ reports Sam’s Club is gaining ground in China, highlighting competitive risks to Costco’s international growth and margin profile in that market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that COST has “tumbled despite higher free cash flow and FCF margins” underscores investor frustration that operational strength hasn’t translated into price support — a sentiment drag. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Logistics/cargo-theft stories include a theft of lobster meat destined for Costco stores — a reminder of supply-chain and security risks that can create isolated product disruptions and minor cost/headline noise. Read More.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $865.65 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $384.24 billion, a PE ratio of 46.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $899.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $936.84.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.85%.

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.