Insider Selling: Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Director Sells 885 Shares of Stock

June 26, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

Costco director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares on June 23 at an average price of $957.45, totaling about $847,343. The transaction cut his direct stake by 15.62% to 4,779 shares, according to an SEC filing.
Costco’s stock opened at $942.24, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, even as the company remains valued at a large premium with a market cap of $417.86 billion and a P/E ratio of 47.40.
The retailer recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.47 per share from $1.30, and it also reported quarterly revenue of $70.53 billion that topped expectations, though EPS came in one cent below estimates.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) Director Kenneth Denman sold 885 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,575,653.55. This represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco’s Secret Growth Engine May Be Running Out of Gas

COST stock opened at $942.24 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $996.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $970.66. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,096.50. The company has a market capitalization of $417.86 billion, a PE ratio of 47.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.28 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

As Inflation Hits 3-Year High, These 2 ETFs Are Designed to Hedge Against Rising Costs

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 1st. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.58%.

Trending Headlines about Costco Wholesale

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

Positive Sentiment: Several bullish articles highlighted Costco’s resilient membership model, strong sales growth, high renewal rates, and ongoing global expansion, reinforcing the view that the business remains fundamentally solid. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?
Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pieces suggested Costco may have further upside, with some citing a path back toward $1,000 per share and broader appeal as a defensive retailer in volatile markets. Costco Stock Price Prediction: A Path to $1,000 and Double-Digit Upside
Positive Sentiment: Coverage around Costco’s cash generation raised the possibility of another special dividend later in 2026, which could be an additional catalyst for income-focused investors. Costco's Cash Pile Is Building. Is a Special Dividend Coming in the Second Half of 2026?
Neutral Sentiment: Costco was also mentioned in store-opening and local expansion stories, which point to continued growth but do not appear to be major immediate stock catalysts. Costco is opening 2 new locations this week. See where
Neutral Sentiment: A director, Kenneth D. Denman, sold 885 shares in a disclosed SEC filing. The sale was relatively small versus his remaining stake, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment. SEC filing for Kenneth D. Denman transaction
Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful short position in the shares, so this report does not suggest a major bearish thesis.
Negative Sentiment: Broader market commentary noted Costco’s stock has been under pressure recently despite solid fundamentals, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking may be limiting near-term upside. Costco Just Posted 12% Sales Growth and 92% Membership Renewals, and the Stock Fell Anyway. Is This the Buy-the-Dip Moment?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MarketBeat Week in Review – 06/01 - 06/05

Several brokerages have recently commented on COST. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,175.00 to $1,315.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $917.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Mizuho set a $1,100.00 price target on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,061.45.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Costco Wholesale

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 99,278.0% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,726,899 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $672,690,000 after purchasing an additional 6,720,130 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $5,195,415,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% during 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 acquiring an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 907.1% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 1,785,080 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,539,346,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1,586.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,137,436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $980,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070,005 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(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.