Costco's Trading Volume Slides 22.87% to 36th Rank as Institutional and Insider Activity Diverge

On August 14, 2025, Costco (COST) traded with a volume of 1.78 billion, marking a 22.87% decline from the previous day, ranking 36th in market activity. The stock closed down 0.35% for the session.

Institutional activity highlighted mixed positioning. Lord Abbett & Co. reduced its stake by 12.3% in Q1, while several firms including Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG and Revolve Wealth Partners increased holdings by up to 45% in Q4. Institutional ownership currently stands at 68.48%.

Insider selling activity drew attention, with director Susan Decker and EVP Pierre Riel offloading shares in June, reducing their ownership by 4.53% and 19.59% respectively. Total insider sales in the last 90 days reached $9.47 million, now accounting for 0.18% of shares outstanding.

Analyst coverage showed diverging views. JPMorgan raised its price target to $1,160 with an "overweight" rating, while Erste Group downgraded to "hold." The consensus target price stands at $1,050, reflecting a 7% projected upside from current levels. Ten analysts rated "hold" and 17 "buy."

A backtested strategy involving the top 500 stocks by volume from 2022 to 2025 yielded a 6.98% annualized return, with a peak drawdown of 15.46% recorded in mid-2023. The approach demonstrated steady growth but emphasized the need for risk management amid market volatility.