Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Congress Asset Management Co.

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 6th, 2026

Congress Asset Management Co. cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 3.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 201,044 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 7,807 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up 1.2% of Congress Asset Management Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Congress Asset Management Co.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $183,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 26.4% in the 3rd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 5,306 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,830,000 after acquiring an additional 1,108 shares in the last quarter. Iowa State Bank increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 2,235 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,035,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 8,922 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,122,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 839 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $764,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 234 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $213,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total transaction of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Strong membership economics: Costco ended fiscal 2026 with 84.1 million paid members and a 92.3% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada. The recurring membership model continues to reinforce the company’s competitive moat. Is Costco’s Moat Really Worth the Premium?
Positive Sentiment: E-commerce is becoming a larger growth engine: Digital sales exceeded $33 billion in fiscal 2026, supported by faster delivery, personalization and AI-powered search. Greater visibility among AI shopping agents could also help Costco capture additional online demand. Costco’s Digital Sales Top $33 Billion Which Retailers Do AI Agents Cite the Most?
Positive Sentiment: Value initiatives may strengthen member retention: Price reductions on selected Kirkland Signature products, aided by tariff refunds and private-label flexibility, could widen Costco’s value advantage and support traffic during a challenging retail environment. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Price Cuts
Positive Sentiment: Potential shareholder return catalyst: Costco’s growing cash balance has prompted speculation that the company could declare a special dividend later this year, though no payout has been announced. Could a Special Dividend Come in the Final 3 Months of the Year?
Neutral Sentiment: Near-term sales report in focus: Costco is scheduled to release September sales results after the market closes on October 7. The update could provide a fresh read on comparable sales, traffic and membership momentum. Why Telsey Still Likes Costco Ahead of September Sales Results
Negative Sentiment: Premium valuation remains a risk: Analysts note that COST has underperformed the broader market recently despite continued revenue, profit and membership growth. Its elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment, and one analysis downgraded the stock on limited upside expectations. Costco: Where Does the Stock Go From Here?
Negative Sentiment: Medicare criticism adds reputational risk: Consumer advocate Clark Howard criticized Costco’s Medicare offerings as enrollment growth slows, potentially creating member dissatisfaction or regulatory scrutiny. Clark Howard Slams Costco’s Medicare Plans

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded up $12.33 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $935.85. The stock had a trading volume of 1,899,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,197,681. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $932.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $964.21. The firm has a market cap of $415.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,096.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%.The company had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.87 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.86 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th were given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on COST. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Freedom Broker lowered their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,200.00 to $1,095.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,046.27.

View Our Latest Research Report on COST

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Free Report)

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.