Stonegate Investment Group LLC Trims Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Posted by Caroline Horne on Jan 27th, 2026

Stonegate Investment Group LLC trimmed its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 75,070 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,258 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 1.6% of Stonegate Investment Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Stonegate Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $69,487,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 711,560 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,325,416 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,141,062,000 after acquiring an additional 90,107 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,275,056 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $10,124,263,000 after purchasing an additional 150,844 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $977.67 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $433.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. 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’s 50-day moving average is $901.58 and its 200 day moving average is $929.49.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Key Costco Wholesale News

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?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total value of $481,492.62. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. The trade was a 5.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on COST. Daiwa Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Hovde Group assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Costco Wholesale

About Costco Wholesale

(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.