Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Sale Disclosed by Rep. Rick W. Allen

Representative Rick W. Allen (Republican-Georgia) recently sold shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST). In a filing disclosed on October 14th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Costco Wholesale stock on September 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “R.W. ALLEN & ASSOCIATES, INC. > RWA&A – SECURITIES” account.

Representative Rick W. Allen also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) on 9/22/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) on 8/12/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM) on 8/12/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) on 8/12/2026.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

COST opened at $978.01 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market cap of $433.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.11, a PEG ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s 50 day moving average is $932.33 and its 200 day moving average is $963.09. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12-month low of $844.06 and a 12-month high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.04% and a return on equity of 27.60%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sales and digital growth: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, a 13% year-over-year increase, while digitally enabled sales rose 19%. Continued membership-fee growth and strong member engagement reinforce the company’s growth narrative. September Sales Growth Could Change Costco’s Narrative
• Positive Sentiment: Higher analyst target: Tigress Financial raised its Costco price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and maintained a Buy rating, citing digital sales and membership growth. The new target implies roughly 28% upside from the reference price. Costco Gets Bullish Analyst Call
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling everyday necessities. Costco has benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Inflation Sends Money Into Defensive Retailers
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payout supports the company’s shareholder-return profile. Costco Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Plans for larger or relocated warehouses, including projects in Oakland and Merced County, could expand Costco’s long-term footprint, but the projects are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Oakland Costco Expansion Proposal
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risk: COST trades at roughly 47 times earnings, leaving limited room for execution misses or a slowdown in membership, sales or consumer spending. Why Investors Keep Buying Expensive Costco Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his direct holdings by 26.2%. The transaction is relatively small but may temper sentiment at a richly valued stock. Costco Executive Stock Sale

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $6,781,946,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $2,362,188,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total value of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Roth Capital reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $781.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,020.00 target price for the company. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,087.40.

About Representative Allen

Rick Allen (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Georgia’s 12th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2015. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Allen (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Georgia’s 12th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Allen was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1951. He attended Auburn University in Alabama, graduating in 1973 with a B.S. in building construction.

After earning his degree, Allen worked as an estimator, project administrator and assistant to the president with a construction firm in Augusta. In 1976, he founded his own construction business, R. W. Allen & Associates, Inc. The company operates in six states across the country. In 2008, Allen was presented with the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Person of the Year award.

About Costco Wholesale

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.