General American Investors Co. Inc. Trims Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

General American Investors Co. Inc. trimmed its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 33,000 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,500 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 1.8% of General American Investors Co. Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. General American Investors Co. Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $30,546,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 2nd quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 657 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $645,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, City Holding Co. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% in the second quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 8,499 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,413,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, 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 value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley named Costco a top pick heading into earnings, providing an institutional vote of confidence that can attract buyers ahead of results. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research flagged tax‑refund tailwinds as a potential sales accelerator for Costco, a near‑term macro tailwind for membership and discretionary buying. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights strong YTD performance and momentum in 2026, which supports higher multiple expansion and continued investor interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and trade‑idea pieces argue for higher intrinsic value (articles suggesting >$1,038) and discuss option strategies after the recent rebound, which can draw tactical interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Costco as a strong growth stock across style scores, reinforcing buy‑side research narratives. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer features — tips for budget shopping at Costco — help reinforce brand engagement but are unlikely to move the stock materially. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles on buying gold at Costco and product roundups (Shark Tank items, bulk deals, membership perks) increase consumer awareness but have limited direct near‑term impact on shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Costco is facing a class‑action lawsuit alleging false “no preservatives” claims on its Kirkland rotisserie chicken — potential reputational and legal risk that could pressure sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: An EVP sold roughly $838k of stock, which investors often view as a modest negative signal on insider conviction (timing and context matter). Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish scenario pieces that model a fall to $700 (speculative) can amplify downside narratives if macro or same‑store trends deteriorate. Article Title

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $977.67 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $901.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $929.49. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two 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 $433.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.37, a PEG ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is 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 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on COST. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,130.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Roth Mkm set a $769.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.