Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. Buys Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) Shares

Posted by Scott Moore on Feb 21st, 2026

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (Democratic-California) recently bought shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST). In a filing disclosed on February 13th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Costco Wholesale stock on January 30th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (OTCMKTS:HESAF) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Tencent (OTC:TCTZF) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Xiaomi (OTCMKTS:XIACF) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (OTCMKTS:MHVYF) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Leonardo (OTCMKTS:FINMF) on 2/3/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Transdigm Group (NYSE:TDG) on 1/30/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) on 1/30/2026.
Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) on 1/30/2026.
Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) on 1/30/2026.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $985.27 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $934.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $934.53. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,067.08. The company has a market capitalization of $437.33 billion, a PE ratio of 52.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 1.01.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 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 firm had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court tariff ruling could benefit Costco financially and reputationally—companies that filed early suits, including Costco, may have an edge collecting refunds and avoiding passed‑on tariffs, which supports margins and customer PR. Fortune: With Trump’s tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, Costco stands to win big
Positive Sentiment: Analyst and sell‑side attention is bullish: Rothschild & Co Redburn published a note forecasting strong price appreciation for COST, which can attract buyers and support sentiment. American Banking News: Rothschild & Co Redburn Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Costco
Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility brand moves: a limited Nike partnership generated buzz and social resale demand, boosting marketing momentum and potential traffic to warehouses. Motley Fool: Why Nike Partnering with Costco Is Actually a Genius Move
Neutral Sentiment: Options flow and trading ideas: some outlets are promoting short‑term bullish option strategies on COST, indicating retail and options traders are active but not changing fundamentals. Investors Business Daily: Bull Put Spread Idea
Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notices in the feed show large increases but report zero shares and 0.0 days (likely a data/reporting error); not meaningful for immediate positioning.
Negative Sentiment: Food‑safety litigation: a class‑action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses a salmonella risk—legal exposure and reputational damage could pressure sales in affected categories. MyNorthwest: Class-action lawsuit alleges Costco’s rotisserie chicken poses salmonella risk
Negative Sentiment: Operational/headline hits: Costco is issuing refunds and recalling certain gift cards after a program closure, and it dropped an Asheville store proposal citing cost/requirements—both are modest near‑term costs and may dent local expansion sentiment. Yahoo: Costco drops Asheville proposal due to requirements, costs Yahoo: Costco Is Recalling Gift Cards Issued for Hundreds of Restaurants

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,155.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,218.00 to $1,171.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,008.07.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $18,165,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 2,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,089,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital & Planning LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Capital & Planning LLC now owns 3,567 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,532,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

About Costco Wholesale

(Get 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.