WealthPlan Investment Management LLC Sells 1,598 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,148 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,598 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.1% of WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,798,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ridgewood Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the second quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $326,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pasadena Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,446 shares of company stock valued at $9,549,528. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $990.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

More Costco Wholesale News

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 Price Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $941.93 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $892.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $930.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $418.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 1.02.

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

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.