Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 24.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,631 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 4,010 shares during the quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $11,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 49.3% in 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 period. Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $874,000. Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 2.0% during 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 period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 43.6% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,444 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $21,700,000 after acquiring an additional 7,116 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total value of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. The trade was a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of COST stock opened at $996.16 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,067.08. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $980.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $937.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $441.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.06.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 28.57%. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.02 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,171.00 to $1,088.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,039.13.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says shoppers remain willing to spend at Costco and its fuel business is resilient; commentary that Costco moderates gas margin changes supports steady traffic and membership value, a bullish signal for near-term same-store sales. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Kirkland Signature continues to expand (new products from wings to salmon and ongoing brand-strength coverage), reinforcing private-label margins and member loyalty — a structural moat that supports higher-margin sales over time. Costco adds new Kirkland Signature products
• Positive Sentiment: New checkout technology pilots could speed throughput and reduce labor/friction costs if rolled out broadly, improving store economics and customer experience. Costco’s New Checkout Tech
• Neutral Sentiment: Costco is pursuing local expansion talks (Asheville, NC), which could support long-term growth but have limited immediate earnings impact. Is Asheville Costco still possible?
• Negative Sentiment: Costco has issued recalls and public warnings for prepared meatloaf/meal kits over potential Salmonella contamination in multiple states; recalls can drive short-term costs, refunds, regulatory scrutiny and pressure foot traffic for affected categories. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores
• Negative Sentiment: Broad media and health-department alerts (Hawaii, multiple states) amplified the recall story, increasing reputational risk and the chance of localized sales softness in deli/ready-to-eat categories. Costco warns shoppers after salmonella contamination

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.