Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Has $129.97 Million Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 130,438 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,987 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $129,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 702 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth 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 during the period. Wealth Effects LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 874 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Lbmc Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,760,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.3% in the third quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total transaction of $847,343.25. Following the sale, the director owned 4,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Costco is expanding its ancillary business with the opening of its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California, which reinforces the company’s ability to deepen member engagement and support traffic beyond warehouse sales. Costco’s first standalone gas station opens in Southern California
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Costco’s cash generation and the possibility of a special dividend later in 2026 is likely supporting investor optimism, since such payouts can be a meaningful catalyst for shareholder returns. Costco’s Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is rising, with Costco showing up as a heavily searched stock on Zacks, suggesting traders are actively reassessing the name amid recent news flow. Investors Heavily Search Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles continued to highlight Costco’s strong brand, membership model, and popular product assortments, but these were mostly commentary pieces rather than fresh catalysts. The rise of Costco: An iconic American brand with a fanatic following
• Neutral Sentiment: A director sale of 885 shares by Kenneth Denman was disclosed, but the transaction was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so the signal is limited even if it adds some caution to sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling can still weigh on shares near term, especially when investors are already focused on valuation and whether Costco’s growth premium is getting stretched. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $952.54 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $422.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a PEG ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50 day moving average of $996.07 and a 200-day moving average of $971.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.04% and a net margin of 3.01%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,050.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,175.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,061.45.

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.