Patton Fund Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Patton Fund Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 90.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 273 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 2,508 shares during the period. Patton Fund Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of COST. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,692,035,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 418,980.3% in the second quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 2,359,422 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,335,686,000 after buying an additional 2,358,859 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after buying an additional 1,377,328 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after acquiring an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on COST. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,025.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $987.58.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $854.79 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $379.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.78, a PEG ratio of 5.10 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $906.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $941.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

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

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $934.62, for a total transaction of $1,157,994.18. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 5,155 shares in the company, 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 available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 3,381 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.00, for a total transaction of $3,093,615.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,740 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,912,100. The trade was a 25.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,720 shares of company stock worth $9,010,257. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.