Retirement Systems of Alabama Buys 9,522 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 142,501 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,522 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $131,903,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COST. Wagner Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the second quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 330 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $326,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.4% in the second quarter. Hobbs Wealth Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.4% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,651 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,454,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pasadena Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,299,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Tandem Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tandem Investment Partners LLC now owns 990 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $916,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $983.25 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $436.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.66, a PEG ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The business has a fifty day moving average of $900.28 and a 200 day moving average of $929.81.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about 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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This represents a 3.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409 in the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.