Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST is Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s 5th Largest Position

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 99,952 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,274 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.9% of Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $92,519,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the 2nd quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 975.0% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,148,060. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $977.67 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $901.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $929.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $433.96 billion, a PE ratio of 52.37, a P/E/G ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.04 EPS. Analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.85%.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fool highlights three key metrics (membership renewal strength, per-location revenue growth, and long-term returns) that reinforce Costco’s durable competitive moat and justify investor confidence. 3 Important Metrics All Costco Stock Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley included Costco among its top picks into earnings, lending institutional credibility and likely supporting the stock as investors reposition ahead of results. Morgan Stanley’s top picks into earnings include AMD and Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research flagged tax-refund tailwinds as a potential near-term boost for consumer spending at Costco, a factor that could lift comparable-store sales and support short-term revenue. Wolfe Research Flags Tax Refund Tailwinds as a Positive for Costco Wholesale (COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other bullish research pieces emphasize Costco’s growth characteristics across style scores, which helps attract growth and momentum-focused funds. Here’s Why Costco (COST) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes COST has jumped year-to-date and rebounded from recent lows; these technical/momentum narratives can amplify flows but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Costco Stock Has Jumped In 2026. Is It Too Late to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and trade-idea pieces (Barchart, TalkMarkets) discuss option/positioning strategies after recent moves — relevant for traders but mixed for long-term holders. Costco Stock Has Moved Up Over The Last Month – What Are The Best Plays Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-facing pieces (shopping tips, membership benefits, product features) keep brand visibility high and can support long-term traffic but have limited immediate share-price impact. Costco’s lesser-known membership benefits explained
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risk: a new class-action lawsuit alleges false “no preservatives” claims on Kirkland rotisserie chicken — potential reputational and litigation costs, though impact is likely limited unless it escalates. Costco’s popular bargain meal at center of new lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a recent EVP sale of about $838k worth of stock may raise eyebrows for some investors, though single insider sales are common and not necessarily a signal of company prospects. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $838,321.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Contrarian analysis explores downside scenarios (e.g., valuation compression), reminding investors that COST’s high P/E and PEG leave it sensitive to multiple contraction if growth slows. How Costco Stock Falls To $700?

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.