Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Sells 1,926 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Posted by George Bondi on May 20th, 2026

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lessened its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 22.8% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,520 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,926 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,622,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. 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 buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,060.00 to $1,110.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,065.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,049.27.

Read Our Latest Analysis on COST

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Costco raised its quarterly dividend by 13% to $1.47 per share, marking 22 straight years of dividend increases and signaling confidence in cash generation. This helped push shares to new highs. Where Will Costco Stock Be In 2028?
Positive Sentiment: Analysts turned more constructive ahead of the company’s May 28 earnings report, with Oppenheimer lifting its price target to $1,160 after strong April sales and the dividend hike. Costco (COST) Stock Gains as Analysts Raise Price Targets Before Quarterly Report
Positive Sentiment: Costco’s April sales reinforced its defensive appeal, with 11.6% comparable sales growth and 18.8% digital sales growth as value-focused shoppers kept buying in bulk. Costco’s April Sales Reinforce Its Case as the Ultimate Defensive Stock
Positive Sentiment: New food-court items, including chicken strips, are generating customer buzz and social media attention that may support traffic and membership loyalty. Forget chicken fingers, Costco quietly adds new food court item
Neutral Sentiment: Several articles discuss whether Costco should split its stock now that shares are above $1,000, but management has not announced any split. Costco’s Stock Keeps Breaking the $1,000 Threshold — Don’t Expect a Stock Split

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $6,139,485.42. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,094.32 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $1,004.71 and a 200-day moving average of $957.59. The company has a market cap of $485.50 billion, a PE ratio of 56.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.92. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a one year low of $844.06 and a one year high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The retailer reported $4.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $69.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.96 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.57% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.02 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st were given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This is a positive change from Costco Wholesale’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

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.