Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Connors Investor Services Inc.

Connors Investor Services Inc. lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.1% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,051 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,390 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.4% of Connors Investor Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Connors Investor Services Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,709,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,328 shares during the period. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,893,697,000 after purchasing an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after purchasing an additional 252,453 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at $7,550,476.80. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of COST opened at $979.92 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $982.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $938.12. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,067.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.96, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.02 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 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, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.04%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is opening its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, CA, expanding fuel footprint and local competitive pressure on convenience stores — this can boost fuel volumes and membership value over time. Costco’s first standalone gas station to open by late June
• Positive Sentiment: Management commentary and recent analysis highlight resilient consumer spending at Costco and a strong gas business, supporting revenue stability even during broader market weakness. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026 While the Broader Market Sells Off
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish pieces argue Costco’s premium multiple is justified by its membership model, Kirkland private label strength, and recession resilience — narratives that support a higher valuation multiple. 3 Reasons Costco Stock Deserves to Trade at a Sky-High Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Local initiatives and benefits — e.g., lowering fertility-drug costs in New Jersey and rollout of faster checkout tech — boost member value and may support retention and traffic. Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
• Neutral Sentiment: New product and private-label news (sourdough kit, new Kirkland items) help drive in-store traffic and add to merchandise appeal but are routine for Costco’s merchandising strategy. This Costco Sourdough Kit Has Everything You Need to Start Baking Bread
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro trade/tariff developments and energy policy moves (Jones Act waiver, new tariffs) create broader cost/price risk for retail but impacts on Costco are indirect and timing uncertain. Trump tariffs live updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that some members may pay more to renew memberships could boost recurring revenue if accepted, but risk minor churn; net effect depends on price level and timing. Some Costco members may pay more to renew their memberships
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued recalls and warnings after possible salmonella contamination in heat-and-serve/meatloaf meal kits — food-safety recalls can dent foot traffic, incur recall costs, and temporarily harm reputation. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores. How to get a refund

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.