Retirement Planning Group LLC Increases Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Retirement Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 49,883 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,960 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 1.6% of Retirement Planning Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Retirement Planning Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $46,173,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bulwark Capital Corp purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Accelerating sales and e‑commerce: December sales and comp trends showed solid growth, with digital-enabled sales surging and average ticket size rising — supporting the thesis that Costco’s membership model and digital initiatives are driving higher traffic and spend. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2-key-costco-sales-metrics-222600868.html
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Mizuho added COST to a top‑picks list and upgraded the name after the pullback, which can attract institutional flows and retail buyers. https://talkmarkets.com/content/stocks–equities/costco-wholesale-sees-mizuho-upgrade-after-pullback?post=549645
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and product placements: Reports of new warehouse builds (e.g., Camarillo) and grocery / frozen-product features, plus partnerships (Quicklly launching products at Costco) support revenue/membership growth over time. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/costco-opening-6-new-warehouses-across-3-states/ar-AA1U8tTm https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/food-and-beverage-products/quicklly-achieves-a-major-nationwide-milestone-with-landmark-costco-and-1126379
• Positive Sentiment: Investor rotation into defensive consumer names: ETF coverage has highlighted Costco as a beneficiary of uneven consumer spending in 2026, which can lift demand for the stock in risk‑off flows. https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/sector-etfs/26/01/49880590/k-shaped-economy-etfs
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and marketing mentions: lifestyle and product stories (e.g., Costco frozen foods features) are positive for brand but are low‑impact for near‑term stock moves. https://www.msn.com/en-us/food-and-drink/recipes/9-frozen-foods-from-costco-that-could-pass-for-homemade/ar-AA1U9AXA
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive / sector pieces: coverage of other retail ideas (e.g., PriceSmart) provides comparative context for investors but doesn’t directly change Costco’s fundamentals. https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/pricesmarts-base-case-calls-for-45-in-upsidebull-case-is-better/
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed: EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares (Form 4 filing), trimming his position — insider sales can spook some investors even when small versus market cap. SEC filing: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/909832/000090983226000004/xslF345X05/form4.xml Coverage: https://www.americanbankingnews.com/?p=30549394 https://www.insidertrades.com/alerts/nasdaq-cost-insider-buying-and-selling-2026-01-13/
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and skeptical commentary: several feature pieces note Costco now trades at a premium (~50x earnings) versus peers and argue that this rich valuation raises downside risk if sales momentum cools. https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/01/14/read-this-before-buying-costco-stock-for-the-long/

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $941.93 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $892.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $930.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $418.09 billion, a PE ratio of 50.45, a P/E/G ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,225.00 to $1,130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 10,446 shares of company stock worth $9,549,528 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.