Rep. Rick W. Allen Unloads Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)

Representative Rick W. Allen (Republican-Georgia) recently sold shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST). In a filing disclosed on October 14th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Costco Wholesale stock on September 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “R.W. ALLEN & ASSOCIATES, INC. > RWA&A – SECURITIES” account.

Representative Rick W. Allen also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) on 9/22/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) on 8/12/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM) on 8/12/2026.
• Sold $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) on 8/12/2026.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.4%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $978.01 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $433.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.11, a PEG ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.88. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $932.33 and a 200 day moving average of $963.09.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.87 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Investors of record on Friday, October 30th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 30th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. The trade was a 26.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the company’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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at $6,534,244.62. The trade was a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of several research reports. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,100.00 to $1,065.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Freedom Broker cut their price target 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. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,087.40.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major price-target increase: Tigress Financial raised its COST price target from $1,065 to $1,250 and assigned a “buy” rating, implying substantial potential upside. Costco analyst price target report
• Positive Sentiment: Strong operating momentum: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results support the strength of its membership model and e-commerce business. Costco September sales report
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive positioning: Higher-than-expected inflation has encouraged investors to favor retailers selling essential goods. Costco benefited from this rotation alongside Walmart and Target. Retail defensive-sector rotation
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and expansion: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13. Proposed new warehouses in Oakland and Merced County also point to continued long-term store expansion. Costco dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to expect earnings growth, with one estimate for fiscal 2027 EPS raised to $22.80. However, commentary describing COST as a portfolio-risk amplifier suggests investors remain focused on its correlation with the broader market and premium valuation. Costco market risk analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider selling: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable to disappointment in membership, sales or consumer spending trends. Separately, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million, reducing his position by 26.23%. Costco insider sale report

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after purchasing an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after buying an additional 5,472,968 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,732,836,000 after purchasing an additional 143,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Representative Allen

Rick Allen (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Georgia’s 12th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2015. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Allen (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Georgia’s 12th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Allen was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1951. He attended Auburn University in Alabama, graduating in 1973 with a B.S. in building construction.

After earning his degree, Allen worked as an estimator, project administrator and assistant to the president with a construction firm in Augusta. In 1976, he founded his own construction business, R. W. Allen & Associates, Inc. The company operates in six states across the country. In 2008, Allen was presented with the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Person of the Year award.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

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.