Whalen Wealth Management Inc. Grows Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

04 Apr 2026, 13:16 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Whalen Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 70.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,812 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 748 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.8% of Whalen Wealth Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Whalen Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,562,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $980,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,005 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 3,176,606 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,893,697,000 after buying an additional 986,182 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 477,425 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $441,919,000 after buying an additional 252,453 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 638.7% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 227,310 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $225,023,000 after buying an additional 196,537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 55.0% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 490,871 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $485,933,000 after buying an additional 174,082 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC reduced their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,045.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Gordon Haskett lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,039.13.

View Our Latest Report on Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $1,014.96 on Friday. 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 Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,067.08. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $989.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $940.59. The firm has a market cap of $450.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.01 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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 27.04%.

Key Costco Wholesale News

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

Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a bullish view on Costco and highlighted a long-term growth runway, which helped lift the stock as investors price in durable membership-driven growth. Costco Stock Pops as Analyst Flags Growth Runway
Positive Sentiment: Sell-side support continues: Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform rating, reinforcing buy-side confidence and possibly supporting multiple expansion. Telsey Advisory Group Reaffirms Outperform Rating
Positive Sentiment: Insider activity: a top executive executed a notable share purchase, which investors often view as management confidence in near-term fundamentals. Top Costco Executive Makes a High-Value Move
Positive Sentiment: Strategic expansion: Costco is pushing standalone gas stations in high-fuel-cost markets and opened a Manitoba Business Centre — moves that enhance value perception and broaden B2B revenue channels. Will Costco’s Gas and Business Centre Refine Its Value Narrative?
Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency: Costco plans automated checkout stations to speed processing and reduce friction; potential margin benefits are longer-term and execution-dependent. Costco to introduce automated checkout stations
Neutral Sentiment: Competitive context and consumer interest pieces (product roundups, bakery comparisons) keep the brand top-of-mind but are unlikely to move near-term fundamentals. I’ve worked at Costco for 20 years
Negative Sentiment: Value-price competition is heating up: Sam’s Club raised membership fees and grocery chains are cutting prices, which could intensify a margin squeeze across the sector; analysts suggest membership-price moves at competitors may pressure Costco to respond strategically. Sam’s Club is hiking its membership fees

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were 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 owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 5,038 shares of company stock valued at $4,790,896 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Profile

(Free Report)

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.