AMF Tjanstepension AB Cuts Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

AMF Tjanstepension AB decreased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 43.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,177 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 40,797 shares during the quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $50,148,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Heritage Investment Group Inc. increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 15.3% in the third quarter. Heritage Investment Group Inc. now owns 639 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $591,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. TFR Capital LLC. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. TFR Capital LLC. now owns 6,020 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,572,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. now owns 578 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $535,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. BLB&B Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the third quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 25,690 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $23,779,000 after acquiring an additional 561 shares during the period. Finally, Castle Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.2% in the third quarter. Castle Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,171 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,084,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $983.25 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-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 firm has a market capitalization of $436.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.66, a PEG ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $900.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $929.81.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. 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 will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total transaction of $2,232,312.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Costco to report strong fiscal Q2 results, with previews calling for double-digit profit growth — investors view this as confirmation of resilient demand and margin stability. Earnings Preview: What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Report
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish analyst pieces argue Costco remains a buy for 2026 and beyond, emphasizing membership retention, steady sales/profit growth and defensive consumer-staples characteristics. This supportive coverage helps underpin the rally. Is Costco Stock a Buy in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership perks continue to be a strategic growth lever — coverage highlights a past controversial perk and four new 2026 benefits aimed at boosting member value and retention, which supports long-term revenue visibility. Costco Introduced a Controversial Perk Last Year — and It Plans to Follow This Up With 4 New Benefits in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/UX improvements: reporting says Costco is adopting a tech upgrade used by competitors to improve the member experience — a potential driver of basket size and visit frequency. Costco borrows tech upgrade from competitor to boost member experience
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail buzz and product-level popularity (popular Costco finds, wholesale flowers) are helping brand engagement but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially in the near term. ‘I’ve Been Using This Stuff Every Day For About 2 Years’
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading/technical interest: a pattern-trade roundup lists Costco as a top seasonal idea (speculative short‑term upside), which can attract momentum traders but isn’t a fundamental endorsement. 5 Best Pattern Trades for This Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes: Seeking Alpha published pieces urging caution or a sell-the-rally stance, arguing the strong start may be short‑lived — these raise concerns about near-term momentum and give some investors reason to lock in gains. Costco: Strong Start To 2026 Likely Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions: coverage assessing Costco’s rich P/E highlights risk that upside is limited unless earnings justify the premium — a key watch for longer‑term investors. Assessing Whether Costco Wholesale (COST) Deserves Its Rich P/E
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider activity: a disclosed sale of 458 shares by an executive may be viewed as a small negative signal, though the sale size is immaterial relative to the company’s scale. Susan Decker Sells 458 Shares of Costco Wholesale

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.