Marino Stram & Associates LLC Takes $601,000 Position in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Posted by Doug Wharley on Jan 27th, 2026

Marino Stram & Associates LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 648 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $601,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,364,888,000 after acquiring an additional 1,377,328 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted 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 worth $42,920,107,000 after acquiring an additional 711,560 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised 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 purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% in the 2nd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $317,722,000 after buying an additional 318,876 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.6%

COST stock opened at $977.67 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $901.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $929.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $433.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.37, a PEG ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23. 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 (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 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 the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total transaction of $1,408,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 9,315 shares of company stock worth $8,549,409 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price objective on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Roth Mkm set a $769.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty-one equities 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $996.00.

Read Our Latest Analysis on COST

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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?

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.