Kanawha Capital Management LLC Has $16.82 Million Holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,175 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 792 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.2% of Kanawha Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Kanawha Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $16,823,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in COST. BAM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $288,000. Seelaus Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 15.8% in the third quarter. Seelaus Asset Management LLC now owns 1,462 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,354,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.5% during the third quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $594,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 8.7% during the third quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 847 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $784,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brueske Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 11.9% during the third quarter. Brueske Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,727 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,301,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird cut 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 report on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,860,260. This trade represents a 54.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Costco to report strong fiscal Q2 results, with previews calling for double-digit profit growth — investors view this as confirmation of resilient demand and margin stability. Earnings Preview: What to Expect From Costco Wholesale’s Report
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish analyst pieces argue Costco remains a buy for 2026 and beyond, emphasizing membership retention, steady sales/profit growth and defensive consumer-staples characteristics. This supportive coverage helps underpin the rally. Is Costco Stock a Buy in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s membership perks continue to be a strategic growth lever — coverage highlights a past controversial perk and four new 2026 benefits aimed at boosting member value and retention, which supports long-term revenue visibility. Costco Introduced a Controversial Perk Last Year — and It Plans to Follow This Up With 4 New Benefits in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Operational/UX improvements: reporting says Costco is adopting a tech upgrade used by competitors to improve the member experience — a potential driver of basket size and visit frequency. Costco borrows tech upgrade from competitor to boost member experience
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail buzz and product-level popularity (popular Costco finds, wholesale flowers) are helping brand engagement but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially in the near term. ‘I’ve Been Using This Stuff Every Day For About 2 Years’
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading/technical interest: a pattern-trade roundup lists Costco as a top seasonal idea (speculative short‑term upside), which can attract momentum traders but isn’t a fundamental endorsement. 5 Best Pattern Trades for This Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes: Seeking Alpha published pieces urging caution or a sell-the-rally stance, arguing the strong start may be short‑lived — these raise concerns about near-term momentum and give some investors reason to lock in gains. Costco: Strong Start To 2026 Likely Short-Lived
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions: coverage assessing Costco’s rich P/E highlights risk that upside is limited unless earnings justify the premium — a key watch for longer‑term investors. Assessing Whether Costco Wholesale (COST) Deserves Its Rich P/E
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider activity: a disclosed sale of 458 shares by an executive may be viewed as a small negative signal, though the sale size is immaterial relative to the company’s scale. Susan Decker Sells 458 Shares of Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $983.25 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $900.28 and its 200-day moving average is $929.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $844.06 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $436.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.66, a P/E/G ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02.

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. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 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.