Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Purchased by Americana Partners LLC

Americana Partners LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 17.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 16,193 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,366 shares during the quarter. Americana Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,989,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,141,062,000 after purchasing an additional 90,107 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after buying an additional 383,887 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported strong December sales and membership-driven resilience, supporting the recent rally and reinforcing revenue/traffic momentum that investors prize in retail. Costco Stock Rallies on December Sales: Buy, Hold or Take Profits?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco boosted gas rewards for its co‑branded credit card to 5% cash back at Costco pumps — a move that should increase card-driven visits and fuel purchases, lifting fuel and in-club spending. Costco quietly boosts gas rewards for branded credit card holders
• Positive Sentiment: Operational scheduling that keeps stores open on MLK Day and favorable holiday-hours decisions are small but additive to traffic and convenience, supporting near-term sales. Costco Stores Will Stay Open on MLK Day Despite Holiday Closures Elsewhere
• Positive Sentiment: Company choice on holiday hours that members like (more open availability) should help traffic and member satisfaction. Costco makes big decision members will love
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco switched its food-court beverage supplier back to Coca-Cola after a decade with Pepsi — a branding/operational change with limited financial impact but positive for consumer familiarity. Costco Switches Food Court Back to Coke After Decade With Pepsi
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces and commentary (e.g., whether COST can hit $1,000) underscore long-term bullish sentiment driven by same-store sales and earnings consistency; useful for investor framing but not an immediate catalyst. Can Costco Stock Reach $1,000 in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and product stories (bakery guide, Indian grocery picks) highlight strong consumer engagement and brand affinity — positive for traffic/loyalty but not direct near-term financial catalysts. The Ultimate Guide to the Costco Bakery: Hidden Gems, Secret Rules, and Insider Tips
• Negative Sentiment: A large grocery rival announced expansion plans, which could increase competitive pressure in key markets over time. Investors will watch for any share/promo pressure or margin impact. Huge Costco grocery rival launches expansion plans
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold about $1.41M of COST stock — a headline that can attract short-term attention and be viewed negatively even if sales are routine. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $1,408,500.00 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $963.61 on Tuesday. 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 company’s 50-day moving average price is $895.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $929.72. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $427.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.61, a PEG ratio of 5.77 and a beta of 1.02.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This trade represents a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value 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 approximately $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 11,946 shares of company stock worth $10,958,028 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.