Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Reduced by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. lowered its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 222,685 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,679 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.4% of Congress Asset Management Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Congress Asset Management Co. owned 0.05% of Costco Wholesale worth $206,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Luminist Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.4% in the first quarter. Luminist Capital LLC now owns 128 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $122,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Birchbrook Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 456 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $935.68, for a total value of $2,526,336.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,410,343.68. This trade represents a 28.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total value of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares in the company, valued at $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,720 shares of company stock worth $9,010,257. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on COST. Argus increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $987.58.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $855.62 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $909.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $944.44. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $379.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.83, a PEG ratio of 5.13 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stores Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Memberships remain a strong, recurring revenue engine: renewal rates are still near historical highs despite more digital sign-ups, supporting predictability of cash flow and the membership model. Costco Renewal Rates Stay Near Historical Highs Despite Digital Shift
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations, which validates sales momentum and pricing strategy even as growth may moderate — a bullish fundamental anchor for long-term investors. Costco Beat Earnings Expectations in Q1. Here’s Why It Could Still Struggle in 2026.
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues: Costco has secured land and signed deals for new locations (example: a recent land purchase in Calgary), supporting long-term store growth and membership acquisition. Anthem and Rencor Sign Costco to Springbank’s Bingham Crossing Centre
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst/commentary pieces reiterate Costco as a long-term holding, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s durable business model despite recent pullbacks. 3 Soaring Stocks to Hold for the Next 20 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Macroeconomic / assortment effects: Tariffs are prompting merchandising adjustments to keep prices low for shoppers — this can compress margins or shift SKU mix, but management appears to be managing assortment proactively. How Tariffs Are Changing Up Costco’s Shelves
• Neutral Sentiment: International revenue trends deserve close attention — overseas growth dynamics and currency mix can meaningfully affect Wall Street’s forecasts and long‑term targets. Don’t Overlook Costco (COST) International Revenue Trends While Assessing the Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Guggenheim reiterated a Neutral rating amid softening metrics — an analyst stance that typically limits upside until metrics stabilize. Guggenheim reiterates Neutral rating on Costco stock amid softening metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual bearish options activity: a very large uptick in put purchases suggests some traders are positioning for further near-term downside or insurance against volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and structural cautions: analysis flags Costco’s AI‑grade multiple and other valuation metrics as warning signs for investors, which can pressure sentiment if growth slows. Why Costco’s (COST) AI-Grade Multiple is a Warning Signal for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade impact: a recent downgrade pushed the stock to a one‑year low, amplifying near‑term selling pressure and weighing on sentiment. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Hits New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade

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.