Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Patton Fund Management Inc.

Patton Fund Management Inc. decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 90.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 273 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,508 shares during the quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 1st quarter worth about $12,970,000. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 10.6% during the first quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 688 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.3% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 7,190 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,800,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale 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 value of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This trade represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 9,720 shares of company stock worth $9,010,257 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of 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. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $987.58.

Key Stores Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Faster checkout tests in Arizona could improve throughput and member experience, supporting sales and comps going into 2026. Costco’s technology is speeding up checkout in Arizona. What to know
• Positive Sentiment: An analysis praising Costco’s execution underscores durable margin and operating discipline that can justify premium multiples long term. Costco: The Art Of Execution
• Positive Sentiment: Broader retail tailwinds — holiday sales expected to top $1T — support sector momentum that can lift Costco’s sales and traffic in the near term. Holiday Sales Boom: 4 Retail Stocks Ready for 2026 Gains
• Neutral Sentiment: Outlook pieces on what investors can expect in 2026 summarize growth drivers and risks but offer no new catalyst; useful for modeling but not market-moving on its own. What investors can expect from Costco in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-content pieces (popular frozen breakfast picks and most-returned foods) reflect member engagement and product issues but are unlikely to move fundamentals. Costco Frozen Breakfast Foods That Are Worth Buying, According To Reddit 10 Costco Foods That Shoppers Return The Most
• Neutral Sentiment: Guides on buying precious metals at Costco show ancillary services but are immaterial to overall earnings. How to buy gold, silver, and other precious metals from Costco online and in-store
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer criticized the tone and handling of Costco’s last conference call, signaling concerns over management communication that can pressure sentiment. Jim Cramer on Costco: “We Did Not Like the Way the Conference Call Went When They Reported Last”
• Negative Sentiment: Roth Capital and other analysts point to convenience and competitive issues as drivers of a disappointing year, keeping pressure on near-term comps and sentiment. Roth Capital’s Bill Kirk points out convenience issues behind Costco’s disappointing year
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces suggesting other stocks to buy ahead of Costco emphasize that COST remains relatively expensive and has had a down year — a reminder valuation could cap upside. 1 Stock I’d Buy Before Costco (COST) in 2026

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.6%

COST stock opened at $854.79 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $379.42 billion, a PE ratio of 45.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a fifty day moving average of $906.34 and a 200-day moving average of $941.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 31st were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

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.