Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Stock Sold by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 201,044 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,807 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.2% of Congress Asset Management Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Congress Asset Management Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $183,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 3,194 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,754,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.8% in the first quarter. Folger Nolan Fleming Douglas Capital Management Inc. now owns 551 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $549,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 1,098 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,094,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded up $12.33 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $935.85. The company had a trading volume of 1,899,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,197,681. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,096.50. The firm has a market cap of $415.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.08, a PEG ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $932.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $964.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.87 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong membership economics: Costco ended fiscal 2026 with 84.1 million paid members and a 92.3% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada. The recurring membership model continues to reinforce the company’s competitive moat. Is Costco’s Moat Really Worth the Premium?
• Positive Sentiment: E-commerce is becoming a larger growth engine: Digital sales exceeded $33 billion in fiscal 2026, supported by faster delivery, personalization and AI-powered search. Greater visibility among AI shopping agents could also help Costco capture additional online demand. Costco’s Digital Sales Top $33 Billion Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
• Positive Sentiment: Value initiatives may strengthen member retention: Price reductions on selected Kirkland Signature products, aided by tariff refunds and private-label flexibility, could widen Costco’s value advantage and support traffic during a challenging retail environment. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Price Cuts
• Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder return catalyst: Costco’s growing cash balance has prompted speculation that the company could declare a special dividend later this year, though no payout has been announced. Could a Special Dividend Come in the Final 3 Months of the Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term sales report in focus: Costco is scheduled to release September sales results after the market closes on October 7. The update could provide a fresh read on comparable sales, traffic and membership momentum. Why Telsey Still Likes Costco Ahead of September Sales Results
• Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation remains a risk: Analysts note that COST has underperformed the broader market recently despite continued revenue, profit and membership growth. Its elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment, and one analysis downgraded the stock on limited upside expectations. Costco: Where Does the Stock Go From Here?
• Negative Sentiment: Medicare criticism adds reputational risk: Consumer advocate Clark Howard criticized Costco’s Medicare offerings as enrollment growth slows, potentially creating member dissatisfaction or regulatory scrutiny. Clark Howard Slams Costco’s Medicare Plans

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. HSBC raised Costco Wholesale to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,011.00 to $955.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,175.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,091.00 to $1,079.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.