Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB Sells 5,068 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

19 Mar 2026, 13:06 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 54.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,268 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 5,068 shares during the quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,951,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hurley Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $1,115.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $1,044.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,039.13.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total transaction of $1,776,913.29. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,320,773.08. This trade represents a 16.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,003.02, for a total transaction of $732,204.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 7,645 shares of company stock valued at $7,049,302. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Costco is opening its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, CA, expanding fuel footprint and local competitive pressure on convenience stores — this can boost fuel volumes and membership value over time. Costco’s first standalone gas station to open by late June
Positive Sentiment: Management commentary and recent analysis highlight resilient consumer spending at Costco and a strong gas business, supporting revenue stability even during broader market weakness. Why Costco Stock Is Up 16% in 2026 While the Broader Market Sells Off
Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish pieces argue Costco’s premium multiple is justified by its membership model, Kirkland private label strength, and recession resilience — narratives that support a higher valuation multiple. 3 Reasons Costco Stock Deserves to Trade at a Sky-High Valuation
Positive Sentiment: Local initiatives and benefits — e.g., lowering fertility-drug costs in New Jersey and rollout of faster checkout tech — boost member value and may support retention and traffic. Costco to lower cost of fertility drugs in NJ
Neutral Sentiment: New product and private-label news (sourdough kit, new Kirkland items) help drive in-store traffic and add to merchandise appeal but are routine for Costco’s merchandising strategy. This Costco Sourdough Kit Has Everything You Need to Start Baking Bread
Neutral Sentiment: Macro trade/tariff developments and energy policy moves (Jones Act waiver, new tariffs) create broader cost/price risk for retail but impacts on Costco are indirect and timing uncertain. Trump tariffs live updates
Neutral Sentiment: Reports that some members may pay more to renew memberships could boost recurring revenue if accepted, but risk minor churn; net effect depends on price level and timing. Some Costco members may pay more to renew their memberships
Negative Sentiment: Costco issued recalls and warnings after possible salmonella contamination in heat-and-serve/meatloaf meal kits — food-safety recalls can dent foot traffic, incur recall costs, and temporarily harm reputation. Costco recalls popular heat-and-serve meal sold at NC stores. How to get a refund

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $979.92 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $982.13 and a 200-day moving average of $938.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The company has a market capitalization of $434.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $69.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $68.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.02 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.04%.

About Costco Wholesale

(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.