Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Holdings Lifted by Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS increased its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 99,952 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,274 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.9% of Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $92,519,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.3% in the fourth 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 during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% in the 2nd quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 657 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $645,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after buying an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Finally, City Holding Co. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 8,499 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $8,413,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Roth Mkm set a $769.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $900.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,125.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,025.00 to $1,027.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,000.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $996.00.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. The trade was a 3.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Javier Polit sold 2,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $867.21, for a total value of $1,776,913.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,320,773.08. The trade was a 16.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 9,315 shares of company stock valued at $8,549,409. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fool highlights three key metrics (membership renewal strength, per-location revenue growth, and long-term returns) that reinforce Costco’s durable competitive moat and justify investor confidence. 3 Important Metrics All Costco Stock Investors Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley included Costco among its top picks into earnings, lending institutional credibility and likely supporting the stock as investors reposition ahead of results. Morgan Stanley’s top picks into earnings include AMD and Costco
• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research flagged tax-refund tailwinds as a potential near-term boost for consumer spending at Costco, a factor that could lift comparable-store sales and support short-term revenue. Wolfe Research Flags Tax Refund Tailwinds as a Positive for Costco Wholesale (COST)
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other bullish research pieces emphasize Costco’s growth characteristics across style scores, which helps attract growth and momentum-focused funds. Here’s Why Costco (COST) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes COST has jumped year-to-date and rebounded from recent lows; these technical/momentum narratives can amplify flows but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Costco Stock Has Jumped In 2026. Is It Too Late to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and trade-idea pieces (Barchart, TalkMarkets) discuss option/positioning strategies after recent moves — relevant for traders but mixed for long-term holders. Costco Stock Has Moved Up Over The Last Month – What Are The Best Plays Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-facing pieces (shopping tips, membership benefits, product features) keep brand visibility high and can support long-term traffic but have limited immediate share-price impact. Costco’s lesser-known membership benefits explained
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risk: a new class-action lawsuit alleges false “no preservatives” claims on Kirkland rotisserie chicken — potential reputational and litigation costs, though impact is likely limited unless it escalates. Costco’s popular bargain meal at center of new lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a recent EVP sale of about $838k worth of stock may raise eyebrows for some investors, though single insider sales are common and not necessarily a signal of company prospects. Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $838,321.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Contrarian analysis explores downside scenarios (e.g., valuation compression), reminding investors that COST’s high P/E and PEG leave it sensitive to multiple contraction if growth slows. How Costco Stock Falls To $700?

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $977.67 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $901.58 and its 200 day moving average is $929.49. The stock has a market cap of $433.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.37, a P/E/G ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,078.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.04 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

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.