What happened
Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST) Executive Vice President William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares on 2026-10-13 at $958.21 each.
The Form 4 puts the sale at about $1.05 million.
The filing lists the transaction code as S and shows direct ownership.
Table II lists no derivative securities.
The form was signed and filed on 2026-10-14.
Key numbers
| Metric | Latest | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares sold | 1,100 shares | SEC Form 4 | |
| Price per share | $958.21 per share | SEC Form 4 | |
| Sale value | about $1.05 million | SEC Form 4 | |
| Shares held afterward | 3,094 shares | SEC Form 4 | |
| Shares sold as a share of prior holding | 26.2% | Calculated from SEC Form 4 |
Read more: Costco Wholesale (COST) stock analysis and investment case
Why it matters
OptimistFi's case is that Costco turns a sticky membership base and scale buying power into predictable, high-cash, low-margin retail earnings.
This Form 4 leaves that operating view unchanged because it records a personal trade and not a business update.
OptimistFi calculates the 1,100 shares were about 26.2% of Wilcox's holding before the trade, which makes the sale read as a trim rather than a full exit.
Wilcox still held 3,094 shares afterward, so the officer remains invested in the stock.
The filing also shows a single-day sale on 2026-10-13 at $958.21 a share, which puts the disclosed transaction near $1.05 million.
Because the trade was reported on Form 4, investors can track the exact change in Wilcox's position from 4,194 shares before the sale to 3,094 shares afterward.
The filing also notes direct ownership and no derivative securities in Table II, which narrows the disclosure to common stock activity only.
Taken together, the sale is material enough to notice but still leaves a sizeable holding in place.
For investors, that means the filing updates insider exposure without changing Costco's operating story.
The sale value, share count and remaining stake together give a clear snapshot of Wilcox's exposure after the trade.
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What's next
A later Form 4 from Wilcox would be the next ownership read.
More selling would strengthen the signal that the stake is shrinking further.
A stable or larger holding would make this filing look more like a one-off trim.
The 2026-10-14 disclosure is the current baseline for Wilcox's holdings.
More from OptimistFi
- COST stock: the Costco Wholesale thesis, its status and the next test to watch
- Stock research on every company OptimistFi covers
- Latest stock research and investment-case updates
- OptimistFi: evidence-first equity research
Sources
- SEC Form 4 — William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of Costco common stock on 2026-10-13 and held 3,094 shares afterward.
- Calculated from SEC Form 4 — 1,100 shares were about 26.2% of the prior holding.
Read the full OptimistFi thesis on Costco Wholesale Corp: https://optimistfi.com/stocks/COST
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The full Costco Wholesale Corp investment case, its status and the next test to watch live on the Costco Wholesale Corp thesis page.
Originally published on OptimistFi, evidence-first equity research. More at optimistfi.com.
