COST Costco Wholesale (COST) Insider Trading, Ownership & Congress Trades
Wholesale & Retail · Retail-variety stores · CIK 0000909832
Congress · 3Form 144 · 3
Insider buyers, 180 days
0
Funds added, last quarter
1,946
13F, latest reported quarter
What the filings say about COST
Insiders, 180 days
-$4.6M net sold
4 sellers · 0% of sales under a 10b5-1 plan
Congress, 1 year
3 bought · 3 sold
Latest: sale, 2026-09-18
Planned sales (Form 144), 90 days
$3.8M
3 notices
Costco Wholesale insider trades (Form 4)
Form 4 buys and sells (codes P and S). Grants, option exercises
and conversions excluded.
Over the last 180 days, COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW insiders sold a net $4.6M of stock across 100 Form 4 purchases and sales, with no insider buying. Source: SEC Form 4 filings, as of 2026-10-27.
Insider
Filed
Shares
Value
Since filing
Context
- 1 earlier Form 4 trade (code P or S) here by this insider (1 sale), the last on Nov 7, 2025.
- The trade is 35.5% of the 3,094 shares held after it.
- 2 other insiders sold within 30 days.
- 1,946 funds added in the 13F quarter to Jun 30, 2026.
Insider activity: Executive Vice President Wilcox William Richard sold about $1.1M of COST on Oct 13, 2026; 2 other insiders sold within 30 days and 1,946 funds added in the latest 13F quarter.Context
- 8 earlier Form 4 trades (code P or S) here by this insider (8 sales), the last on Mar 9, 2026.
- The trade is 30.8% of the 7,133 shares held after it.
- 2 other insiders sold within 30 days.
- 1,946 funds added in the 13F quarter to Jun 30, 2026.
Insider activity: Executive Vice President Adamo Claudine sold about $2.0M of COST on Sep 29, 2026; 2 other insiders sold within 30 days and 1,946 funds added in the latest 13F quarter.Context
- 7 earlier Form 4 trades (code P or S) here by this insider (7 sales), the last on Apr 1, 2026.
- The trade is 10.1% of the 7,912 shares held after it.
- 2 other insiders sold within 30 days.
- 1,946 funds added in the 13F quarter to Jun 30, 2026.
Insider activity: Sr. Executive Vice President Frates Caton sold about $733.3K of COST on Sep 29, 2026; 2 other insiders sold within 30 days and 1,946 funds added in the latest 13F quarter.Context
- 3 earlier Form 4 trades (code P or S) here by this insider (3 sales), the last on Jul 15, 2024.
- The trade is 18.5% of the 4,778 shares held after it.
- No other insider sold within 30 days.
- 1,946 funds added in the 13F quarter to Jun 30, 2026.
Insider activity: Director DENMAN KENNETH D sold about $847.3K of COST on Jun 23, 2026; 1,946 funds added in the latest 13F quarter.Context
- 6 earlier Form 4 trades (code P or S) here by this insider (6 sales), the last on Sep 29, 2025.
- The trade is 12.0% of the 5,815 shares held after it.
- 1 other insider sold within 30 days.
- 1,946 funds added in the 13F quarter to Jun 30, 2026.
Insider activity: Executive Vice President Frates Caton sold about $695.1K of COST on Apr 1, 2026; 1 other insider sold within 30 days and 1,946 funds added in the latest 13F quarter.100 transactions on record
Since filing: total return from the first close after the filing to the latest close, dividend-adjusted. Not a forecast.
Context lines are counts over the filings above and returns from our own price history, never a price level. Not investment advice.
Seven facts, ranked against the sector ·
Rank is not a forecast
Insiders
net -$4.6M over 180 days
-$3.8M over 90 days
below 70% of Wholesale & Retail
Congress
3 members bought in the last year
more than 89% of Wholesale & Retail
Funds
1,946 funds bought in last quarter
more than 99% of Wholesale & Retail
Revenue
+10.1% year over year
more than 75% of Wholesale & Retail
Margin
3.0% net margin
more than 64% of Wholesale & Retail
Buybacks
$848.0M repurchased, FY to 2026-08-30
more than 92% of Wholesale & Retail
Short interest
1.7% of the float short (float per yahoo 2026-10-26) · 2.7 days to cover · settled 2026-09-30
below 61% of Wholesale & Retail
What changed in the last 30 days
Oct 14Executive Vice President Wilcox William Richard sold $1.1M (Oct 13)
Oct 13Officer Wilcox William Richard filed to sell $1.1M by Oct 13 (Form 144)
Why it matters
A Form 144 is a notice of intent to sell; the sale may not happen, and it says nothing about the price.
Sep 30Executive Vice President Adamo Claudine sold $2.0M (Sep 29)
Sep 30Sr. Executive Vice President Frates Caton sold $733.3K (Sep 29)
Sep 29Officer Adamo Claudine filed to sell $2.0M by Sep 29 (Form 144)
Why it matters
A Form 144 is a notice of intent to sell; the sale may not happen, and it says nothing about the price.
Watch COST
A free account keeps a watchlist and can send one email a day when insiders, funds or Congress file on the names in it. No password and no card.
The year, with the filings on it
Total return over 12 months. Each marker is a filing; hover or tap one for the detail.
+6.8%12M
Insider sellForm 144 (planned sale)
Indexed to 100, dividend-adjusted, not a price chart.
When a name files heavily, the largest trades are drawn first.
Who owns COST: institutional holders (13F)
13F holdings, latest reported quarter
34,202,834 sh
$32.0B
28,976,605 sh
$27.1B
18,384,951 sh
$17.2B
13,989,137 sh
$13.1B
10,627,472 sh
$9.9B
Congress trades in COST
STOCK Act disclosures, US House only, filed up to 45 days after the trade
Sold 2026-09-18 · disclosed 26 days later
$1,001 - $15,000
Sold 2026-07-30 · disclosed 15 days later
$1,001 - $15,000
Bought 2026-07-10 · disclosed 7 days later
$1,001 - $15,000
Bought 2026-01-30 · disclosed 14 days later
$1,001 - $15,000
Sold 2025-12-24 · disclosed 19 days later
$1,001 - $15,000
Activist and 5% holders (13D/13G)
No 5%+ ownership filings
Nobody has filed for crossing 5%. That is a fact, not missing data.
COST planned insider sales (Form 144)
Notice of intent to sell, filed before any sale
Wilcox William Richard
Filed 2026-10-13
$1.1M
Adamo Claudine
Filed 2026-09-29
$2.0M
Frates Caton
Filed 2026-09-29
$733.3K
DENMAN KENNETH D
Filed 2026-06-23
$847.3K
COST mutual fund holders (N-PORT)
Funds ranked by the share of their own portfolio in this stock (N-PORT).
Global X PureCap MSCI Consumer Staples ETF
$8.6M position · as of 2026-05-31
14.4%
JNL/Mellon Consumer Staples Sector Fund
$51.8M position · as of 2026-06-30
13.5%
VANGUARD CONSUMER STAPLES INDEX FUND
$1.1B position · as of 2026-05-31
12.0%
Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF
$161.4M position · as of 2026-07-31
11.4%
State Street(R) Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF
$1.2B position · as of 2026-06-30
9.0%
Select Consumer Staples Portfolio
$108.0M position · as of 2026-05-31
9.0%
SEC N-PORT, monthly, about 60 days late · funds ≥ $10M ·
% is the share of the fund's own portfolio
Executive pay vs shareholder return · Ron M. Vachris
CEO pay, headline and as actually paid, against the company's
return and its chosen peers' (DEF 14A).
FY
CEO total
Actually paid
Other execs, avg
TSR
Peer TSR
2025
$13.9M
$15.6M
$6.3M
+194%
+73%
2023
$16.9M
$18.7M
$6.3M
+64%
+29%
2022
$9.9M
$11.9M
$5.8M
+59%
+28%
2021
$8.8M
$10.3M
$4.7M
+34%
+85%
Tagged by the company under SEC Item 402(v). Returns are
cumulative from the start of the disclosure period. Green where the company beat its own peer group.
Live price
Daily candles from TradingView, under their licence. No filings marked.
Why this name is on the desk
Insiders have filed to sell, before selling.
The record shows a net $4.6M sold by insiders over 180 days, 1,946 funds added last quarter, 3 House member(s) bought in 12 months, disclosed weeks after the trade, $3.8M in planned Form 144 sales. Each figure is a federal filing, dated the day it went public.
COST financials
Revenue growth
+10.1%
XBRL, annual
Net margin
3.0%
Ratios from the company's XBRL filings, latest filings
Revenue, TTM
$303.2B
four quarters, 2025-09-01 to 2026-08-30
Revenue, TTM COST
| FY Aug 2026 | $303.2B |
| FY Aug 2025 | $275.2B |
| FY Sep 2024 | $254.5B |
| FY Sep 2023 | $242.3B |
| FY Aug 2022 | $227.0B |
| Aug 2026 | $95.7B |
| May 2026 | $70.5B |
| Feb 2026 | $69.6B |
| Nov 2025 | $67.3B |
| Aug 2025 | $86.2B |
| May 2025 | $63.2B |
| Feb 2025 | $63.7B |
| Nov 2024 | $62.2B |
At each fiscal year end
Single quarter
Net margin, TTM
+3.0%
net income over revenue, 2025-09-01 to 2026-08-30
Net margin, TTM COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +3.0% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +2.9% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +2.9% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +2.6% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +2.6% |
| Aug 2026 | +3.1% |
| May 2026 | +3.1% |
| Feb 2026 | +2.9% |
| Nov 2025 | +3.0% |
| Aug 2025 | +3.0% |
| May 2025 | +3.0% |
| Feb 2025 | +2.8% |
| Nov 2024 | +2.9% |
At each fiscal year end
Single quarter
Free cash flow, TTM
$9.4B
operating cash flow minus capex, 2025-09-01 to 2026-08-30
Free cash flow, TTM COST
| FY Aug 2026 | $9.4B |
| FY Aug 2025 | $7.8B |
| FY Sep 2024 | $6.6B |
| FY Sep 2023 | $6.7B |
| FY Aug 2022 | $3.5B |
| Aug 2026 | $2.5B |
| May 2026 | $2.0B |
| Feb 2026 | $1.7B |
| Nov 2025 | $3.2B |
| Aug 2025 | $1.9B |
| May 2025 | $2.3B |
| Feb 2025 | $1.6B |
| Nov 2024 | $2.0B |
At each fiscal year end
Single quarter
Debt to equity
0.17x
long-term 2026-08-30 plus current 2026-08-30; equity 2026-08-30
Debt to equity COST
| FY Aug 2026 | 0.17x |
| FY Aug 2025 | 0.20x |
| FY Sep 2024 | 0.25x |
| FY Sep 2023 | 0.26x |
| FY Aug 2022 | 0.32x |
| Aug 2026 | 0.17x |
| May 2026 | 0.17x |
| Feb 2026 | 0.18x |
| Nov 2025 | 0.19x |
| Aug 2025 | 0.20x |
| May 2025 | 0.22x |
| Feb 2025 | 0.23x |
| Nov 2024 | 0.24x |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Cash flow to debt
2.57x
TTM operating cash flow over long-term 2026-08-30 plus current 2026-08-30
Cash flow to debt COST
| FY Aug 2026 | 2.57x |
| FY Aug 2025 | 2.30x |
| FY Sep 2024 | 1.92x |
| FY Sep 2023 | 1.71x |
| FY Aug 2022 | 1.13x |
| Aug 2026 | 2.57x |
| May 2026 | 2.65x |
| Feb 2026 | 2.61x |
| Nov 2025 | 2.57x |
| Aug 2025 | 2.30x |
| May 2025 | 2.11x |
| Feb 2025 | 2.04x |
| Nov 2024 | 1.70x |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Return on equity
+28.4%
TTM net income over average of 2025-08-31 and 2026-08-30
Return on equity COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +28.4% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +30.7% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +30.3% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +27.5% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +30.6% |
| Aug 2026 | +28.4% |
| May 2026 | +29.2% |
| Feb 2026 | +29.7% |
| Nov 2025 | +30.3% |
| Aug 2025 | +30.7% |
| May 2025 | +32.1% |
| Feb 2025 | +32.9% |
| Nov 2024 | +29.9% |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Return on assets
+11.1%
TTM net income over average of 2025-08-31 and 2026-08-30
Return on assets COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +11.1% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +11.0% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +10.6% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +9.5% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +9.5% |
| Aug 2026 | +11.1% |
| May 2026 | +10.9% |
| Feb 2026 | +10.9% |
| Nov 2025 | +10.6% |
| Aug 2025 | +11.0% |
| May 2025 | +10.9% |
| Feb 2025 | +10.9% |
| Nov 2024 | +10.3% |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Return on invested capital
+37.5%
operating income after a 31.1% effective tax rate, over long-term 2026-08-30 plus current 2026-08-30 plus average of 2025-08-31 and 2026-08-30 minus cash
Return on invested capital COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +37.5% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +37.1% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +38.1% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +34.7% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +39.4% |
| Aug 2026 | +37.5% |
| May 2026 | +40.1% |
| Feb 2026 | +39.3% |
| Nov 2025 | +38.9% |
| Aug 2025 | +37.1% |
| May 2025 | +40.7% |
| Feb 2025 | +39.6% |
| Nov 2024 | +41.9% |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Return on capital employed
+27.5%
operating income (EBIT proxy) over average of 2025-08-31 and 2026-08-30 minus current liabilities
Return on capital employed COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +27.5% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +27.9% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +26.6% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +24.0% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +25.1% |
| Aug 2026 | +27.5% |
| May 2026 | +27.3% |
| Feb 2026 | +27.7% |
| Nov 2025 | +28.0% |
| Aug 2025 | +27.9% |
| May 2025 | +28.6% |
| Feb 2025 | +28.7% |
| Nov 2024 | +26.4% |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
P/E, trailing
48.33x
close 2026-10-23 over four quarters of diluted EPS, 2025-09-01 to 2026-08-30
P/E, trailing COST
| FY Aug 2026 | 45.54x |
| FY Aug 2025 | 51.80x |
| FY Sep 2024 | 53.86x |
| FY Sep 2023 | 38.44x |
| FY Aug 2022 | 40.47x |
| Aug 2026 | 45.54x |
| May 2026 | 50.74x |
| Feb 2026 | 52.96x |
| Nov 2025 | 48.15x |
| Aug 2025 | 51.80x |
| May 2025 | 57.18x |
| Feb 2025 | 62.57x |
| Nov 2024 | 56.61x |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Enterprise value
$430.6B
market value at close 2026-10-23 on 2026-09-29 shares, plus long-term 2026-08-30 plus current 2026-08-30, minus cash 2026-08-30
Enterprise value COST
| FY Aug 2026 | $405.3B |
| FY Aug 2025 | $410.0B |
| FY Sep 2024 | $391.6B |
| FY Sep 2023 | $233.9B |
| FY Aug 2022 | $231.9B |
| Aug 2026 | $405.3B |
| May 2026 | $434.3B |
| Feb 2026 | $440.4B |
| Nov 2025 | $387.9B |
| Aug 2025 | $410.0B |
| May 2025 | $439.3B |
| Feb 2025 | $469.3B |
| Nov 2024 | $422.1B |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
FCF yield
+2.1%
TTM free cash flow over market value at close 2026-10-23
FCF yield COST
| FY Aug 2026 | +2.2% |
| FY Aug 2025 | +1.9% |
| FY Sep 2024 | +1.7% |
| FY Sep 2023 | +2.8% |
| FY Aug 2022 | +1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | +2.2% |
| May 2026 | +2.0% |
| Feb 2026 | +2.0% |
| Nov 2025 | +2.3% |
| Aug 2025 | +1.9% |
| May 2025 | +1.6% |
| Feb 2025 | +1.5% |
| Nov 2024 | +1.2% |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
PEG, trailing
3.45x
P/E over trailing EPS growth of 14%: four quarters to 2026-08-30 against the four to 2025-08-31
PEG, trailing COST
| FY Aug 2026 | 3.25x |
| FY Aug 2025 | 5.23x |
| FY Sep 2024 | 3.16x |
| FY Sep 2023 | 4.95x |
| FY Aug 2022 | 2.44x |
| Aug 2026 | 3.25x |
| May 2026 | 3.98x |
| Feb 2026 | 4.32x |
| Nov 2025 | 5.00x |
| Aug 2025 | 5.23x |
| May 2025 | 6.19x |
| Feb 2025 | 5.20x |
| Nov 2024 | 3.52x |
At each fiscal year end
Trailing four quarters at each quarter end
Price as of 2026-10-23. Hover or tap a tile for its yearly and quarterly history.
Method
TTM is four consecutive fiscal quarters; Q4 is the year minus nine months when not filed. Returns use the average of opening and closing balances. EBIT is approximated by operating income. PEG uses trailing EPS growth.
Fundamentals
Annual figures from XBRL filings. Pick a past date to see them as known then.
| 2026-08 | 2025-08 | 2024-09 | 2023-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $303.2B | $275.2B | $254.5B | $242.3B |
| Operating income | $11.7B | $10.4B | $9.3B | $8.1B |
| Net income | $9.2B | $8.1B | $7.4B | $6.3B |
| EPS (diluted) | 20.76 | 18.21 | 16.56 | 14.16 |
| Operating cash flow | $15.8B | $13.3B | $11.3B | $11.1B |
| Cash | $20.2B | $14.2B | $9.9B | $13.7B |
| Long-term debt | $3.9B | $5.7B | $5.8B | $5.4B |
| Buybacks | $848.0M | $903.0M | $700.0M | $676.0M |
| Dividends paid | $2.5B | $2.2B | $9.0B | $1.3B |
SEC XBRL, fiscal years, as known on 2026-10-27
COST Stock Sonar score 6/7 axes
Find similar shapesCompareCOST ranks highest on profitability (86th percentile) and financial health (76th), and lowest on insider conviction (15th), among Wholesale & Retail peers.
6 of 7 axes scored. Each is a percentile against sector peers (all companies when the sector is thin); higher is better. An unscored axis is unmeasured, not low. How it is scored
COST filings, in plain words
Are Costco Wholesale insiders buying or selling COST?
In the 180 days to 2026-10-27, Costco Wholesale insiders were net sellers, a net $4.6M across purchases and sales reported on Form 4, by 4 sellers.
Have members of Congress traded COST?
Yes. In the year to 2026-10-27, 3 House members disclosed buying COST and 3 House members disclosed selling it; the latest on record is a sale by Richard W. Allen dated 2026-09-18.
Are there planned insider sales of COST?
Yes. 3 Form 144 notices of planned insider sales were filed in the 90 days to 2026-10-27, covering $3.8M of stock; the latest, by Wilcox William Richard, was filed 2026-10-13.
Read the full summary
In the 180 days to 2026-10-27, Costco Wholesale insiders were net sellers of COST, a net $4.6M across purchases and sales reported on Form 4 by 4 sellers. None of the 4 insider sales was flagged as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. In the year to 2026-10-27, 3 members of Congress disclosed buying COST and 3 members disclosed selling it; the latest on record is a sale by Richard W. Allen dated 2026-09-18. Insiders filed 3 Form 144 notices of intent to sell in the 90 days to 2026-10-27, covering $3.8M of stock. Each figure is counted from SEC and House filings as of 2026-10-27, dated the day the filing was made public.
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