Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

4K + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in COST. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +17
Streak
3Q ▲
Buyers last Q
50%

Smart Money Signals — COST

Based on 4257 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q2 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 3 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added COST than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
4,257 hedge funds hold COST right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
📶

Steady growth — +8% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+323 new funds entered over the past year (+8% YoY). Gradual, steady growth in institutional ownership is generally a healthy signal — not a speculative rush, but consistent conviction.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 50% buying

1986 buying1977 selling
Last quarter: 1,986 funds bought or added vs 1,977 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-125 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 198 → 430 → 371 → 246. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒

70% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 70% conviction (2yr+) ■ 16% medium ■ 14% new
2,974 out of 4,257 hedge funds have held COST for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares +200%, value +1%

Value
+1%
Shares
+200%
Last quarter: funds added +200% more shares while total portfolio value only changed +1%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
➡️

Steady discovery — ~246 new funds/quarter

249 → 198 → 430 → 371 → 246 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 198 → 430 → 371 → 246. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 70% veterans vs 16% newcomers

■ 70% veterans ■ 14% 1-2yr ■ 16% new
Entry-cohort mix of 4,360 holders: 3,072 (70%) are 2+ year veterans, 600 entered 1–2 years ago, and 688 (16%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆

Elite ownership — 62% AUM from top-100 funds

62% from top-100 AUM funds
73 of 4245 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 62% of total institutional value in COST. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
3.5
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.5/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — COST

In 2026 Q2, 1986 hedge funds were net buyers of COST (246 opened a new position, 1740 added to an existing one), while 1977 reduced or exited (1748 trimmed, 229 sold completely) — a 50% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. This marks 3 consecutive quarters of net institutional buying — a persistent conviction signal. 62% of total institutional value in COST is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +17 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 4257.

What Fund Managers Are Saying About COST

▲ 1 bullish
Christopher Davis · Tekton Intelligence long 2026-07-30
One of his top five core holdings.
▶ Watch on YouTubevia William Green (Richer Wiser Happier)
AI-generated paraphrases of public interviews · informational only, not investment advice · see all manager views

Hedge Fund Ownership: COST

How many hedge funds hold COST — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of COST vs. share price

Market Analysis: COST

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: COST

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Loading signal freshness…
Smart Money Signal ?
Strong Institutional Conviction

Multiple high-quality funds hold meaningful positions with strong conviction.

104 top-rated funds 125 high-conviction
Consensus
8.8
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
7.3
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: COST
4K + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in COST. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q2) Prior (2026 Q1) Change
Funds Holding 4216 4240 -0.57%
13F Shares 340M 324M 5.05%
Total Value $307.00B $304.88B 0.69%
New Positions 228 371 -143
Increased Positions 1711 1756 -45
Closed Positions 240 197 +43
Reduced Positions 1701 1602 +99
Total Calls 52 57 -8.77%
Total Puts 60 54 11.11%
PUT/CALL Ratio 1.15 0.95 Neutral

Statistics: COST

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Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

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Institutional Holders (2026 Q2)

4K + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in COST. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 COST holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q2 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Emerald Advisors, LLC 73.18% 622,528 $582.4M
2 I.G.Y. Ltd 35.99% 94,326 $88.2M
3 Worldly Partners Management, LLC 33.07% 43,268 $40.5M
4 Norman Fields, Gottscho Capital Management, LLC 16.21% 57,203 $53.5M
5 Greenbrier Partners Capital Management, LLC 15.54% 221,730 $207.4M
6 Chapman Investment Management, LLC 10.72% 13,890 $13.0M
7 Garrison Bradford & Associates Inc 9.54% 9,403 $8.8M
8 Aljian Capital Management, LLC 9.52% 54,901 $51.4M
9 Provident Trust Co 9.22% 470,400 $440.0M
10 Conway Capital Management, INC. 9.09% 21,822 $20.4M
11 Unio Capital LLC 9.05% 50,926 $47.6M
12 Spg Advisors LLC 8.88% 527 $493K
13 Capital Counsel LLC/Ny 8.58% 234,577 $219.4M
14 Everett Harris & Co /Ca/ 8.44% 734,529 $687.1M
15 Lakeside Advisors, INC. 7.58% 12,875 $12.0M
16 Luts & Greenleigh Group, INC. 7.36% 10,396 $9.7M
17 Borer Denton & Associates, Inc. 7.22% 23,523 $22.0M
18 United American Securities Inc. (d/b/a UAS Asset Management) 7.17% 35,587 $33.3M
19 Bradyco, Inc. 7.04% 6,564 $6.1M
20 Chilton Investment Co INC. 6.96% 310,417 $290.4M
21 Steadfast Capital Management LP 6.71% 234,056 $219.0M
22 Brandywine Financial Group 6.69% 600 $561K
23 Sun Group Wealth Partners 6.34% 9,938 $9.3M
24 Paragon Capital Management LLC 6.27% 14,480 $13.5M
25 Capital Investment Counsel, Inc 6.22% 61,747 $57.8M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for COST?

Buying streak — 3 quarters in a row: For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added COST than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for COST?

Slight buying edge — 50% buying: Last quarter: 1,986 funds bought or added vs 1,977 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for COST holders?

Elite ownership — 62% AUM from top-100 funds: 73 of 4245 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 62% of total institutional value in COST. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held COST?

70% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 2,974 out of 4,257 hedge funds have held COST for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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