Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC reduced its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 68.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 106,190 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 225,724 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $98,293,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at about $5,692,035,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 418,980.3% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew 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 worth $42,920,107,000 after buying an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after buying an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 3,381 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.00, for a total transaction of $3,093,615.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,740 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,912,100. This trade represents a 25.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Tiffany Marie Barbre sold 1,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 24th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,817,966.10. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,720 shares of company stock worth $9,010,257. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. Argus raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,170.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $987.58.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Memberships remain a strong, recurring revenue engine: renewal rates are still near historical highs despite more digital sign-ups, supporting predictability of cash flow and the membership model. Costco Renewal Rates Stay Near Historical Highs Despite Digital Shift
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat expectations, which validates sales momentum and pricing strategy even as growth may moderate — a bullish fundamental anchor for long-term investors. Costco Beat Earnings Expectations in Q1. Here’s Why It Could Still Struggle in 2026.
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion continues: Costco has secured land and signed deals for new locations (example: a recent land purchase in Calgary), supporting long-term store growth and membership acquisition. Anthem and Rencor Sign Costco to Springbank’s Bingham Crossing Centre
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst/commentary pieces reiterate Costco as a long-term holding, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s durable business model despite recent pullbacks. 3 Soaring Stocks to Hold for the Next 20 Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Macroeconomic / assortment effects: Tariffs are prompting merchandising adjustments to keep prices low for shoppers — this can compress margins or shift SKU mix, but management appears to be managing assortment proactively. How Tariffs Are Changing Up Costco’s Shelves
• Neutral Sentiment: International revenue trends deserve close attention — overseas growth dynamics and currency mix can meaningfully affect Wall Street’s forecasts and long‑term targets. Don’t Overlook Costco (COST) International Revenue Trends While Assessing the Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Guggenheim reiterated a Neutral rating amid softening metrics — an analyst stance that typically limits upside until metrics stabilize. Guggenheim reiterates Neutral rating on Costco stock amid softening metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual bearish options activity: a very large uptick in put purchases suggests some traders are positioning for further near-term downside or insurance against volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and structural cautions: analysis flags Costco’s AI‑grade multiple and other valuation metrics as warning signs for investors, which can pressure sentiment if growth slows. Why Costco’s (COST) AI-Grade Multiple is a Warning Signal for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade impact: a recent downgrade pushed the stock to a one‑year low, amplifying near‑term selling pressure and weighing on sentiment. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Hits New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2%

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $855.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $909.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $945.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $379.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.83, a P/E/G ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 1.00.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its 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. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current 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 given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 31st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale 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.