Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $1,374,480.00 in Stock

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Russell Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.0%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $950.98 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $893.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $930.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $422.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.94, a PEG ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 1.02. 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 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23.

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

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: December sales and digital momentum: December sales accelerated (5-week period showing mid-single-digit comps) and digital-enabled sales surged (~19% YoY), supporting higher traffic and larger average tickets — a clear revenue catalyst. Costco Finally Breaks Out: Is There Still Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Technical breakout and upside interest: After a prolonged pullback, shares have broken above key short-term moving averages, drawing renewed buying and analyst attention that can sustain momentum into earnings and guidance windows. Costco Finally Breaks Out: Is There Still Time to Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Retail footprint expansion: Costco plans/announcements for new warehouses continue (recent local reports of six new openings across three states), supporting membership growth and long-term sales runway. The Costco Craze Continues: 6 New Warehouses Opening Across 3 States
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive long-term narrative but not an immediate catalyst: Features on Costco’s long-term returns (e.g., articles on buy-and-hold outcomes and whether it can make long-term investors wealthy) reinforce confidence but don’t change near-term fundamentals. Could Costco Help You Become a Millionaire Over the Long Term?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Multiple disclosures show executive share sales (EVP Russell Miller sold 1,500 shares), which some investors read as a near-term red flag even though the amounts are small relative to market cap. Several Executives Sell Costco Stock (COST) to Start the New Year
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation headwinds: Analysts and features note Costco trades at a premium (~50x earnings), leaving the stock vulnerable if sales momentum cools or macro pressures hit consumer spending. Read This Before Buying Costco Stock for the Long Term

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Gordon Haskett cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, HSBC dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one equities research 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. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ridgewood Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the second quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 159 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Wagner Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pasadena Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.