Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC Buys 1,602 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 66.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,029 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,602 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.3% of Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Gallagher Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,680,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $35,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded COST to “overweight” and raised its price target to $1,050, signaling analyst confidence and providing upside to the stock. JPMorgan raises COST price target to $1,050
• Positive Sentiment: January sales and Costco’s value proposition (pricing, private label, e-commerce + warehouse footprint) are being flagged as drivers for continued traffic and revenue growth — a bullish operational read-through for 2026. Is Costco’s January Sales Surge Fueling a Bigger 2026 Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its Instacart partnership in Europe, which can boost e-commerce volume and improve cross-border growth optionality. Costco Expands Instacart In Europe As Valuation Stays Above Fair Value
• Positive Sentiment: Company expansion plans, including a proposed 20-store strategy in Australia, support long-term member and sales growth in a relatively underpenetrated market. Can anyone compete with Costco’s 20-store plan?
• Positive Sentiment: An institutional buyer, RFG Advisory LLC, modestly increased its Costco stake, a small signal of continued investor interest. Costco Shares Purchased by RFG Advisory LLC
• Neutral Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a “Neutral” rating on COST, which may temper near-term momentum from upgrades. DA Davidson reiterates Neutral on COST
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media pieces are debating whether the 15% year-to-date rise makes Costco a buy — helpful for retail interest but largely reiterative analysis rather than new company-specific catalysts. Costco Stock Is Up 15% This Year. Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary highlights valuation as a risk — Costco’s premium P/E and elevated multiple relative to growth could limit upside unless top-line acceleration and margin expansion persist. Valuation watch: Is COST expensive?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Hovde Group assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday. Mizuho raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,007.42.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total transaction of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $997.59 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,078.23. The company has a market capitalization of $442.80 billion, a PE ratio of 53.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 1.01. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $916.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $930.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

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.