Achmea Investment Management B.V. Sells 8,439 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Achmea Investment Management B.V. lowered its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 71,953 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,439 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.8% of Achmea Investment Management B.V.’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Achmea Investment Management B.V.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $66,601,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,364,888,000 after buying an additional 1,377,328 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after acquiring an additional 986,182 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased 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 valued at $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says shoppers remain willing to spend at Costco and its fuel business is resilient; commentary that Costco moderates gas margin changes supports steady traffic and membership value, a bullish signal for near-term same-store sales. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature continues to expand (new products from wings to salmon and ongoing brand-strength coverage), reinforcing private-label margins and member loyalty — a structural moat that supports higher-margin sales over time. Costco adds new Kirkland Signature products
• Positive Sentiment: New checkout technology pilots could speed throughput and reduce labor/friction costs if rolled out broadly, improving store economics and customer experience. Costco’s New Checkout Tech
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing local expansion talks (Asheville, NC), which could support long-term growth but have limited immediate earnings impact. Is Asheville Costco still possible?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has issued recalls and public warnings for prepared meatloaf/meal kits over potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states; recalls can drive short-term costs, refunds, regulatory scrutiny and pressure foot traffic for affected categories. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores
• Negative Sentiment: Broad media and health-department alerts (Hawaii, multiple states) amplified the recall story, increasing reputational risk and the chance of localized sales softness in deli/ready-to-eat categories. Costco warns shoppers after salmonella contamination

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,185.00 price objective on the stock. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $996.16 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $980.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $937.82. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,067.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $441.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.80, a P/E/G ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.04%.

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.