Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) EVP Sells $1,408,500.00 in Stock

January 16, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

Insider sale: EVP James Klauer sold 1,500 shares on Jan. 14 at an average price of $939 for $1,408,500, trimming his stake by 3.24% to 44,837 shares valued at about $42.1 million.
Dividend announced: Costco declared a $1.30 quarterly dividend (ex-dividend Jan. 30, payable Feb. 13), which annualizes to $5.20 and yields roughly 0.5%.
Financials and valuation: Costco beat quarterly estimates with $4.34 EPS and $67.31 billion revenue (up 8.3% YoY), but trades at a premium (~51x P/E) and carries an average analyst target of $996 with a "Moderate Buy" consensus.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) EVP James Klauer sold 1,500 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares in the company, valued at $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Finally Breaks Out: Is There Still Time to Buy?

NASDAQ:COST opened at $956.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $844.06 and a fifty-two week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $424.67 billion, a PE ratio of 51.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $893.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $930.82.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm's revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.04 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

PriceSmart’s Base-Case Calls for $45 in Upside—Bull-Case Is Better

The company 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on COST. Mizuho set a $1,000.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Hovde Group initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,134.00 to $1,146.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Roth Capital set a $769.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $996.00.

Albertsons: Deep Value on the Surface, Opportunity Beneath?

Check Out Our Latest Report on Costco Wholesale

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.30 per share payable Feb. 13, reinforcing Costco’s shareholder-return policy and supporting demand for the stock. Costco Wholesale Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces and momentum stories point to a technical breakout after a sluggish 2025 and strong December sales, which is drawing renewed buyer interest. Costco Finally Breaks Out: Is There Still Time to Buy?
Positive Sentiment: Long-term bullish narratives emphasize Costco’s membership model, recurring renewals, volume leverage and international expansion runway — supportive for long-horizon investors. 3 Reasons Long-Term Investors Keep Coming Back to Costco Stock
Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-facing pieces (membership value, product highlights) keep brand engagement high but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. Report reveals which Costco items can pay for the annual membership
Negative Sentiment: Several insiders, including EVP James C. Klauer and other executives, disclosed share sales in mid-January; while routine, such sales can create short-term selling pressure and investor caution. James C. Klauer Insider Sale
Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns persist — Costco trades at a premium (roughly 50x earnings) versus retail peers, which moderates upside and makes the stock sensitive to any growth or margin disappointments. Read This Before Buying Costco Stock for the Long Term

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $18,165,000 after buying an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Financial Group raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. Beacon Financial Group now owns 905 shares of the retailer's stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 298 shares of the retailer's stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Berkshire Bank grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Berkshire Bank now owns 1,435 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,421,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company's stock.

About Costco Wholesale

(Get 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.