Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. reduced its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 378,354 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 58,354 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned 0.09% of Costco Wholesale worth $350,216,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.5% during the second quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 13,616 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $13,479,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 16,888 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $16,718,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares in the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,780 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,499,000 after buying an additional 1,248 shares during the last quarter. Permanent Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 15,799 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $15,640,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,860,260. This represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,773.08. This represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 8,946 shares of company stock worth $8,175,048 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on COST shares. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 target price for the company. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $994.08.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and renewed buy-side interest, plus speculation Costco might pay a special dividend, are supporting investor optimism about returns and capital allocation. Costco Stock (COST) Gets Multiple Analyst Upgrades to Start the New Year
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst note arguing Costco’s current problems are temporary and that shares could still reach $1,000 frames recent softness as cyclical and manageable, supporting upside expectations. Why Costco’s stock could still get to $1,000 despite sluggish sales and membership growth
• Positive Sentiment: Evidence that Costco’s digital investments (e‑commerce, AI, same‑day delivery) are gaining traction provides a tangible growth runway beyond warehouse traffic, which supports longer‑term revenue expansion. Costco’s Digital Ecosystem Emerges as a Powerful Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst consensus remains constructive (many firms rate Costco a Buy/Moderate Buy and groups like Telsey issued Outperform), which can support multiple expansion and buying interest. Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy”
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer flagged Costco as a name to watch — visibility that can attract short‑term flows but doesn’t change fundamentals. Cramer’s Stop Trading: Costco
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational notes — new store opening schedules and consumer‑facing features (store hours, hidden product lists) offer local sales tailwinds but are low impact for the stock on their own. Costco sets schedule for opening store in west Roseville’s Baseline Marketplace
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: commentary noting Costco’s business is strong but the current share price is hard to justify suggests some investors view upside as limited absent materially faster growth or share buybacks/dividends. Is Costco Stock Set to Rebound Higher in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings caution from some Zacks commentary flags downside risk to Q2 results, which could pressure the stock if comparable‑store sales or membership trends weaken. Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of COST Q2 Earnings

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 2.5%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $875.74 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $388.71 billion, a PE ratio of 46.91, a PEG ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.02. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $893.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $933.62.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

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.